Down and Out
by 1Pagan3
Summary: AU! A hunt gone bad leaves the Winchester's one man down and another doubting his worth. Can what happened be undone six years later when fate brings all the players back together?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Ok, I don't know if I should continue... so it's all up to you, let me know. As usual... I don't own anything of Supernatural, or Kripke's creations, just playing in his toybox, I'll put it all back later. :)

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Dean woke with a start and knew instantly what day it was. Every year on the same day for the last six years he had the same dream as if it were his penance for him being alive and not his brother. "Not good enough." He muttered softly as he worked his way slowly out of bed. He felt older than his twenty six years, but he also knew that most of that was his own doing. Neither he nor his father took a break unless they were injured and even then they had to be dying or in a coma leaving the other to deal with whatever nasty creature had put them in that state.

As he wearily made it into the bathroom, he made sure to shut the door so his dad could get a couple more hours of sleep, one of them needed to be half way alert. Looking into the mirror he knew instantly that he wouldn't be able to hide his nightmare from his dad, but also knew that the older man wouldn't say anything – didn't have the right to say anything.

"_Dad, I just don't understand. Why can't we just go to her and ask her to stop." Sam said as he watched his father and brother get their gear ready for the next hunt. He saw Dean look at him as if he were crazy and his dad freeze up as if the mere thought of moving a muscle was well beyond his control. Instantly he knew that once again he should have just kept his mouth shut, but he honestly wanted to know why no one went to find out why this particular witch was casting wishing spells on people. Sure the consequences seemed vicious, but that could just as easily be a horrible mistake._

_John turned to his youngest son and ignored the thought that was tapping away at the back of his brain that his son might have a point and instead concentrated on a whole other point, his son was questioning him… again! "Sam, you need to get your head out of the clouds before you get someone killed, you understand me?" he asked, his voice edged with steel. "Just because you refuse to see what's in front of you doesn't mean that the rest of us are going to turn away from our obligations."_

_Knowing that this was the time that a smart person would just nod and acquiesce to the higher authority, he was just as shocked as everyone else when his voice sprung out of his mouth unbidden. "But Dad, not everything supernatural could be evil, right? So what if…"_

"_Dammit Sam, why the hell can't you just do what your told?" John asked aloud while thinking the rest of his meaning, 'why can't you be more like Dean?'_

_Standing off to the side, Dean knew that this wasn't as big of a blowout as some that his brother and dad had lately, but something told him that this was just the beginning and if something drastic didn't happen then this 'conversation' would carry over throughout the hunt and the whole way back. Frustrated, he could only stand by and watch as his little brother look at their dad as if seeing him for the first time and wonder what it was that he had just missed._

_Seeing the end of his youngest son's rebellion, John led the way to the Impala and in just a few more moments they were racing off towards the town's witch to confront her about her extracurricular activities. _

_Everything was going fine and according to plan, leaving each of the Winchester men feeling more than just a little cocky and sure of themselves. What they didn't expect was their nice, friendly 'conversation' would backfire so spectacularly._

_As the witch, also known as Missy Brown to the locals, stood there listening quietly to the ritual that the eldest one was reciting, she couldn't help but turn her attention to the boys and notice their differences as well as their similarities. Smiling she turned to John Winchester, "So, the mighty hunter has once again found his prey. Was it everything you had hoped for John?" she asked as he faltered only slightly before continuing in earnest once again with his boys acting as backup for whatever was needed to make sure she didn't escape. "You know, not everything out there is evil John." She said calmly while catching the stricken look on the younger boy's face and used that to her advantage. "All I do is grant the people their wish, that's all… if it's pure then there are no problems."_

"_What if it's not?" Sam asked, unable to pass up an opportunity to learn something new. He wasn't sure why he thought he needed to know this, but then again who knew when they might meet someone like her again. Seeing his father's displeasure he took an involuntary step back before he noticed something… she was about to attack!_

_Dean wasn't sure exactly what happened, one minute he was groaning inwardly to his brother's question, then the next he was being shoved out of the way by that very same annoying little brother. It took a moment for everything to catch up in his shocked brain but when it did he couldn't believe what had just happened. The witch had conjured up an energy ball and threw it at him. He knew her aim was dead on and there was nothing he could do to prevent getting hit, but then something blocked his view before it was hit by that ball and forcibly thrown into the concrete wall where it came to rest under the severely newly damaged cinderblocks. Seeing that it was his brother that had blocked him, he looked shocked at his dad and saw the same disbelief in his eyes before they both rushed to Sammy's side not fully registering that the witch was escaping, nor her cryptic answer, "Disaster."_

_Cradling his little brother, he noticed that Sammy's right pupil was completely blown with a ring of blood around the retina leaving no doubt about the kind of injury he had. He heard his dad calling for help, but knew that this was one time that help wouldn't come in time. "Shhh, little brother, it's ok, you're going to be ok." He whispered, hoping that somehow he was right, even though the dazed look in Sammy's eyes proved him wrong._

_Sam looked at his brother and tried to smile while his panting breathes carried his message to his hero. "It's ok Dean, I get it now… why Dad's the way he is… I get it and if one good thing can come out of my death, I'm glad it's your life… maybe that makes up for taking Mom away from you and Dad."_

_Refusing to accept what sounded like a good bye, Dean started shouting at the limp body in his arms and didn't stop until he was pulled away by the paramedics and his dad._

The sound of his dad's phone ringing pulled him out of his memory and he half listened to the conversation in the other room as he washed up, pointedly ignoring the scars on his arms as they were only a reminder of another failure.

"Dean, get ready we have to go… there's been some strange occurrences in Wanesburg, Oklahoma and we're needed to help figure out what's going on."

He heard the sound of rustling and knew that what clothes that been taken out were now being repacked into his dad's duffle and he couldn't help but feel the loss all over again. It used to be him and Sammy putting the clothes in the duffels, but they would joke around while doing it sometimes to the point of getting their dad on their asses in the process. A short fleeting memory came and went making Dean wonder not for the first time if he had completely lost his mind. Shaking his head he finished quickly and left the bathroom only noticing how long he actually had been when he saw a flash of worry on his father's face.

John knew that the pain of losing Sammy was still burdening Dean, but he had no idea what to do to get through to him anymore; he hated to admit it, but he lost both his boys that day and that knowledge sometimes weighed heavier on his heart than he could ever imagine. He watched as the shell that once was his son got his gear packed up and knew that this was going to be an extremely long day, but was thankful that they had gotten past the point of having to hide any and all sharp objects away from Dean.

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Waynesburg, Oklahoma was in the western part of the state where only the more adventurous people dared to claw out a living. Amazingly though the townspeople survived keeping the town itself afloat if for no other reason that just by sheer spite since the founding fathers had been told that they would never survive in such inhospitable surroundings. With a small blinking four way stop light swaying from its wire in the middle of the main intersection, it was easily determined that the one store, gas station and diner were the main sources of income for the town itself, however it was still close enough to some of the surrounding communities that were starting to grow that if anyone wanted to work, there were jobs available that didn't entail farming or ranching of any kind.

Visitors were an oddity but still a welcome one which explained why no one really took too much notice of the new vehicles parking in front of the diner on a Saturday morning. After all, there were more than one tour group who would stop for a bit just to stretch their legs while on their way to New Mexico.

Maude's diner had at one time been the home to a bed and breakfast that finally went bankrupt in the early eighties when the economy across the nation was completely in the toilet. Now it was a diner on the ground floor with the upper level being home to no other than Maude and her 'roommates'. No one ever second guessed Maude about anything, it was just a given; if she said the sky was green then the only explanation was a tornado was coming, even if it was mid December, and everyone prepared accordingly. She looked ancient, moved slowly, and sounded more like a fortune cookie at times but everyone respected her… mainly because of her age, but her roommate Lucas Mayfield also helped. The tall muscular man who lived in Maude's home but acted more like her bodyguard than her boarder, making sure everyone toed the line when dealing with the old woman.

The regulars in the diner continued to eat while keeping an eye on the strangers that had made themselves at home. Although visitors were welcome, they only were so if they didn't start trouble, and by the looks of them it looked like any of them could start a whole mess to brewing.

"Hello gentlemen, sorry it's taking me so long, my normal help is trying to take care of a delivery for me and it's taking longer than usual." Maude said as she placed the tray on the edge of the table and handed out water and coffee for everyone. Smiling, she sized each of them up and had a suspicion what they were there for. "Now don't tell me that you boys have come all this way for those silly rumors that have been flying around." She said amused. Although there had been no change in any of the men's expressions, the charge in the air was an indicator that she was right. Laughing, she shook her head and made it around the wrap around counter to get more menus before starting back to the table.

The sound of a door slamming shut towards the back of the building brought the attention of all the men at the long table around causing Maude to laugh once again. "Oh don't mind Lucas, he don't know his own strength half the time, but don't worry about him… more like a big puppy you know."

Laughter erupted around the diner before one of the patrons spoke up, "More like pitbull Maude and you know it."

Before anyone else could comment, a young man in his mid twenties burst through the door looking as if he'd ran a mile at a full sprint. Looking around his eyes finally locked on Maude and it was like a switch had been flipped in his brain. Rushing towards the old woman he grasped her by the arms and shook her. "You shouldn't be here, you're not where you're supposed to be!" he shouted, all the while shaking her harder until finally he let her go and rushed back out the door screaming, "None of you are supposed to be here."

A large figure broke through the swinging kitchen door and jumped over the counter, shocking several people but only made Maude yell after him as he raced through the door. "Don't kill him Lucas… Tommy didn't know what he was doing!"

It didn't take long for the man Maude called Lucas to catch up to Tommy and it was obvious that there wasn't going to be any words involved. As Lucas proceeded to beat the other man harshly in the middle of the street, a small crowd gathered and watched in a mix of horror and fascination until finally Lucas had enough and dropped the man to the ground before walking back into the diner. Ignoring everyone else, he immediately went to Maude and checked her for any injuries besides the bruising he was sure she was going to have by the end of the day.

"You worry too much Lucas, I'm fine… now go tend to your hands." She said gently as she tried to push him towards the swinging door. Seeing his amused look, she huffed, "Oh now go… leave this old woman in peace, I'm fine I tell you. Now go soak those hands."

Finally seeing Lucas disappear behind the door, she managed to get the menus to her customers but could only look at them as they all stood in shock at the swinging door.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked puzzled by their attitude.

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Dean hated to admit it, but he really didn't want to be there. Seeing everyone that his little brother had used to call friend and family sitting there at the table made his skin crawl and he couldn't help but wonder why they had stopped him from doing what it was he knew he should have, it wasn't like his life really meant anything anymore anyway; his Sammy was gone, his purpose done. Sighing, he couldn't get the words his dad threw at him after he woke up from his last attempt out of his head. "Does your brother's sacrifice mean so little to you? He gave you his life, why do you want to throw it away?" He hadn't tried again and it was a mixed blessing since he could now go to the bathroom without an escort but now he had to prove that his life was worth living, not for himself but for his little brother.

Looking around the table he saw those familiar faces who had helped him piece his life back together as much as it could be without all the pieces. Bobby and Caleb had been the silent strength that he drew from when all he wanted was to end it all, Jim had been the one to repeat how much Sammy loved him and was watching over him, and his dad who had stopped more than one hunt to make sure he was doing ok and double check any and all information. It was this last person that he was secretly angry with but he knew one day his anger would blow and he had no idea what the outcome of that would be. He could remember each and every time his little brother would ask questions just to make sure they hadn't missed anything but was put down for it and even made to feel as if he was holding everyone back, and now here the same man was following in those same footsteps; too bad he didn't do that while Sammy around… then his little brother would still be alive.

He ignored the old woman who seemed a little too interested in what they were doing there in the miniscule town that didn't seem to have anything to offer besides poverty and depression. It wasn't until the strange man barged in and started to shake the old woman that he started to feel a part of his old self perk back up and take notice. Before he or any of the other hunters were able to move in and help, the man was gone but someone that the woman called Lucas had run through the diner as if he were going for the gold and all he could do was stare.

'Nah...it can't be…' he thought as he continued to watch the fight that was going on outside. When the guy returned, he and the others slowly stood up and watched as his tended to the old woman before disappearing in the back. Her question startled him though and he slowly turned and watched her all the while thinking, 'Nah, nothing's wrong, just that you have someone here who's a dead ringer for my dead little brother.'


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Ok, I guess it's official... I've lost my mind! Really... I could have sworn I posted this chapter awhile back. Anyway, sorry for the delay... hope you all like it. Take care!

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John knew that Dean was having a rough time at the moment… ok, who was he trying to kid, he'd been having a tough time since Sammy died and if he was completely honest then he would admit that he wasn't taking things too well either; then again, how honest was he really? It had taken months to stop yelling for Sam to get his gear together, months of nightly nightmares relieving the fatal blow of his baby boy, but he still had those nights when it would sneak up on him and all he could do was stand to the side and watch helplessly as his youngest son's life faded. He knew that he would never forget that night nor the words he heard Sammy whisper with his last breath.

"_It's ok Dean, I get it now… why Dad's the way he is… I get it and if one good thing can come out of my death... I'm glad it's your life… maybe that makes up for taking Mom away from you and Dad."_

He never knew that his son thought that, that he was to blame for Mary's death, and his one greatest regret was that he would never be able to make it up to him, to convince him just how wrong he was. The closest thing he could come up with though was making sure that Dean continued to live whether he wanted to or not.

Sitting at a table in a small diner in an even smaller town he looked around and saw some of his closest friends and knew that he wouldn't have gotten this far without them. He half listened to the old woman and was more than a little perturbed that she didn't seem to want to be out of their line of conversation for more than a few moments at a time. Getting more irritated by the moment he was still reining in his patience when he witnessed the old woman get accosted in her very own diner. Before he or any of the others even had a chance to come to her defense a man burst through the kitchen door that changed everything.

"Sammy." He choked out as he watched in shock as the man proceeded to beat the crap out of the intruder before walking back inside as if nothing happened. Certain he was just hallucinating he looked the younger man over carefully and noticed all the distinct differences immediately, the extra three inches, the muscular frame as well as the much shorter hair which was kept just long enough for waves to be shown but not curl. However it was the similarities that made him wonder about his sanity. The moles that had been a part of his son's face for so long was identical to the ones on this other person, but it was the eyes that captured his interest the most… definitely Sammy's eyes.

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Lucas knew that there would be no way in convincing Maude to go upstairs and rest but there was no way he was going to be able to do what he really wanted to with her watching him so closely. Beating Tommy Sorenson hadn't been on his 'To Do' list for the day, but he felt an intense sense of satisfaction at making the guy pay for hurting her that way.

Making a quick call he rushed back into the diner and made sure his friend was set up before walking to the table with their newest customers. Although five men traveling together wasn't an oddity in itself, something about them made him wonder what their real story was. It amazed him how many visitors the town would get after a report of some sort of 'sighting'… as if things like that really existed. Pulling the order pad out of his pocket, he was determined to ignore their stares and get them fed and out the door so he could tend to more important matters – Maude.

"So, what would you like?" he asked abruptly, hoping it was something already simmering on the stove so they would get back on their way a lot faster. As he looked around the table he started to get angry; these people didn't know him, why did they think they had the right to judge him?

"Uh… I think we'll all take the cheeseburger plates." Caleb said as he forced himself not to choke on his words. He knew that what he was seeing was impossible, but at the moment all he could see was a grown up version of little Sammy Winchester, and it was freaking him out.

"Right… cheeseburgers. Give me a few minutes and I'll have them out to you." Lucas said while obviously distracted by something outside the window.

"Lucas…" Maude called out. "why did you call them? I'm not some old biddy who can't take care of herself."

Groaning, Lucas knew he was in for it, and by the chuckles across the room, the others knew it too. "Look Maude, you know I'm supposed to take care of those errands for you, and I'd feel better if I knew someone was…"

"Was babysitting the old woman?" Maude asked as an eyebrow rose and her gaze matched his. Seeing that she made her point she finally nodded. "Fine… gives me a chance to catch up on a few things… I wonder if Luke and Laura are back together."

Laughing, Lucas made his way to the kitchen just as the door opened letting in three women who looked more rattled than anyone else in the room. Soon the diner was filled with the sounds of chattering as the women made sure the eldest of their group was really ok. It took the whole time Lucas was frying up the cheeseburgers and fries for the women to 'convince' Maude that she needed to upstairs and rest, leaving him to shake his head and wonder who was fooling who.

"Now Lucas, you let me know before you leave… I might have a few extra things for you to pick up." Maude called out as she made her way up the stairs closely followed by her newly arrived friends.

As he walked out of the kitchen with a tray full of plates he heard a couple of the regulars laugh. "Yeah Lucas, wouldn't want her to have to buy her own feminine products now would we?"

Ignoring the comment, Lucas quickly emptied the tray before walking outside towards a white truck. Once everyone saw where he was heading, the man who spoke up was out of his chair and rushing towards the door causing the others to laugh at him. "When are you doing to learn not to make rude comments about Maude, Earl?" another man cackled before turning back to his soup. Cussing, Earl passed Lucas as he was coming back in the door while folding his pocket knife.

"Looks like you got a flat Earl, you might want to take care of it soon before it hurts that rim." Lucas said with a blank look on his face while passing by the other man. After making sure all his customers were taken care of he quickly took to the stairs to check on his roommate.

Stunned, the hunters stared at the scene that had unfolded and wondered what they had just walked into. For all pretense and purposes the guy Lucas has just damaged someone else's property but no one was doing a damn thing about it, in fact most of them looked like the guy deserved it. Finally looking at each other they could only silently agree – they'd definitely talk about this later.

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It didn't take long to find a small house to rent at the outskirts of town. Apparently the owner had disappeared mysteriously after insisting that a creature with red eyes was stalking him and his family. The description given sounded like a chupacabre but it didn't explain the disappearance, but with the other oddities in town it was just chalked up to another item of interest to check out.

All five men sat around the living room not saying a word, each one trying to get a certain face out of their heads and not having any success at it. Finally Bobby had had more than enough and stood up while running his hand over his face. "Not talking about it isn't going to make it go away. Now we have enough evidence in this town to show something supernatural's going on and that kid Lucas is definitely on the top of the list." Seeing John and Dean's shocked glances he shook his head. "Don't give me that… you saw him. If he's not Sammy I'll eat my hat. The real question is how and why."

"Maybe it's just a trick, or a coincidence or something." Caleb whispered, remembering the last time he actually saw Sammy.

_Word had quickly reached all interested parties in the hunting community, sending a wave of mourning across the nation. Most people who knew the Winchester's knew that under normal circumstances the normal protocols would be followed, but these weren't normal circumstances, this was his baby boy and he didn't have the heart to burn him. The gathering in Lawrence, Ks was a small affair with only those considered close friends and family. Since John had insisted on burying his youngest, it only made sense that it would be next to his beloved wife Mary. The funeral was in a small chapel that John and Mary had gotten married in, giving the whole situation a surrealistic feel to it. There had been no question on how Sammy's body was still whole, John had stolen it from the coroner's office before the autopsy began, so the youngest Winchester was still fully intact for anyone who wanted to see him one last time. _

_It didn't take long for the procession to make its way through, even though the most hardened of hunters had to pause and dry their eyes after seeing their young friend lying there in the wooden casket. No one asked why John did what he did, it was obvious; he wanted his boy to have a chance at true peace, but if for some reason it didn't happen then it would be easier to take care of. _

_While Jim proceeded over the service, everyone remembered the first time they met the boy that now lay dead in front of them. It wasn't until they watched the casket being lowered into the grave that they all allowed themselves to remember the last time they saw him alive, and most of those memories entailed an argument with John. At the time no one could blame the patriarch for his impatience, but now after seeing the past through new eyes, each hunter had to wonder how different things would have been if they all had just given a few extra moments to steer a volatile situation to a tentative understanding. _

_It wasn't until the last shovel of dirt had been placed that the scene had been brutally shoved home, it was with that last bit of dirt that Dean could no longer hold back and threw himself onto the grave screaming his brother's name until John had no choice but to physically drag him away and allow Bobby to inject him with a heavy sedative._

As everyone looked at each other, none could figure out what they should do next. It was obvious something strange was going on in the town itself, but what it had to do with Sam or Lucas or whatever his name way they didn't have any idea. Between the possible chupacabre, the unrelated cattle mutations, and the two sightings of deceased loved ones that originally grabbed their attention they all were just waiting for the punchline of this cosmic joke.

Hearing a truck turn into the driveway, they all instantly pulled out their weapons and waited to see who it was and most importantly what they wanted. It was now dark so they couldn't get a glimpse into the cab, but the glow from a security light from their closest neighbor showed the silhouette moving inside. Glancing at each other they quickly got into position so they wouldn't be taken by surprise if this person wasn't a person after all. Seeing the man walk towards the door carrying a large box, they were surprised to hear the knock on the door considering how full the man's arms were.

Dean looked over and saw everyone was ready. Keeping his gun out of sight he opened the door only to stand face to face with the very person they were discussing. Pulling himself together as quickly as he could he looked at the box and motioned the man through.

"Maude knew you guys would be in town soon to eat and she wanted to close up early tonight so she sent some things over." Lucas said as he made his way through the house and into the kitchen. "She wanted to make sure you had a few things to heat up just in case so I put some stew and chili in here."

John couldn't seem to get the words through his mouth and was thankful when Jim stepped in and asked, "In case of what?"

Shrugging his shoulders slightly Lucas continued to pull the items out of the box. "Didn't ask, just in case is just that."

"You didn't ask?" Caleb asked watching the other man closely, not liking what he was seeing.

Lucas laughed as he took the empty box off the table and turned around. "Why would I? It's her diner, if she wants to close up early or take a day off then what's the big deal."

"So she's taking a day off?" Jim asked as he tried hard to keep himself neutral in this situation.

Irritated, Lucas' demeanor changed from laid back to threatening. "Look, I have no idea why you're here, but at the moment I don't like your attitude. I suggest that you get your business over and done with as soon as possible… just make sure you leave Maude out of it."

As they watched him walk back out to his truck it was Dean who spoke first. "I guess we now know where to start."

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Although Jim could justify what he was doing, it still felt too much like deception for his taste. According to the small placard to the side of the church, the morning service wouldn't start for another hour and he hoped it would give him enough time to do what he needed to do. Walking through the doors of the Waynesburg Baptist Church it didn't take him long to meet the Pastor and he wondered yet again if this was the right way to go about the information they needed.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Pastor Simmons." Jim said confidently as he looked at the man before him.

"Ah, Pastor Murphy, of course… come in! What can I do for you?" Pastor Simmons asked as he motioned Jim to follow him to his office.

Jim took a deep breath and hoped for the best. "My friends and I have come here looking to see if there were any truth to some of the accounts we've been reading about. I know it sounds strange, but we've been investigating reported phenomenon for years and…"

"…and you want to know what's going on in our small town." Pastor Simmons said with a smile. "I'd like to know that as well. We used to be a quiet little place with the same problems as other small towns, but lately it's as if we can't have a week without something happening to make people wonder about us."

Nodding, Jim smiled and waited for the man to continue but when it looked as if he were lost in his own thoughts he knew he'd have to pry. "When did it start?"

"Hmm? Oh… uh, let's see… well, we've always had our share of camp stories, but nothing too out of the ordinary until… well, I guess the very first odd occurrence would be when that boy Lucas appeared in the middle of Abner Wilcox's field." Looking at Jim he leaned back in his chair and chuckled slightly. "Now don't get the wrong idea, Lucas wasn't what made the whole situation odd but the circumstances. You see, five years ago we had a sheriff who had a problem staying out of the local bars, didn't matter if it was day or night, if the man was thirsty he went to a bar and helped himself. Anyhow, one day he goes about his normal business and all of a sudden he jumps in his car and races through town like the devil himself was after him. Several of the townsfolks, myself included, realized something was wrong and chased after him worried he was going to kill someone. I've never seen anyone drive like that, like he was possessed and didn't have a care in the world. Eventually he slows down and we all think that he's got whatever it was out of his system and he'll just sleep it off in the front seat, but we were wrong. He speeds back up and runs straight through the fencing of Wilcox's property and doesn't stop until he hits something, sending it up in the air a good twenty feet. You can imagine our surprise when we see it's this kid lying on the ground barely breathing. The sheriff got out of his car with no memory of what happened the last two years of his life… everything was gone."

Jim sat and stared at the man before him and wondered if this was a joke, if at any moment he was going to smile and say 'fooled ya', but after a moment he understood that the man was serious. "Uh… what happened then?"

"Well, the boy spent two months in the hospital and when he woke up he had no idea who he was or where he came from so the town sort of adopted him until the area's matriarch put her foot down and took him in; I'm sure you've met her… Maude." Pastor Simmons said quietly. "After that everything was quiet until about a year ago, then Alice Jennings swore on a bible during a town meeting that she saw her deceased husband milking one of the cows that morning. Since then something strange or unexplained will occur about every month or so."

It took everything he had to walk out of the office without asking more questions, but they needed to keep a low profile as much as possible and if anyone thought they were there for any other purpose than what they said he had no doubt that they'd be run out of town. Dialing his cell phone he waited until the call was picked up before answering the question quickly asked on the other end, "Yes, he's part of it."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hello everyone, I wanted to thank all of you for their well wishes and prayer for my son who is now awake and getting better every day. Please continue whatever it is you're doing as he is becoming known as sort of a miracle with the doctors and nurses! I pieced this chapter together from before Michael's accident and now, so I'm hoping that it flows with the rest of the story (I'm still a little frazzled), and that you all enjoy it. I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but know that I haven't forgotten. Thanks again!!!

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John wasn't sure what to make of what he was seeing. It had been a long night, but they all had survived it and now everyone had a job to do which was why he was standing on the sidewalk staring at his youngest son's doppelganger who seemed determined to make it known to God and everyone just how close he and little Michelle Watson really were. It would be amusing if it didn't kick him in the gut.

"So Dad, what do you think… she out of his league?" Dean asked as he handed over a mug of gas station sludge and watched the sight before them. He knew that his Dad was wondering how he was doing, but he couldn't even answer that question himself at the moment.

"Honestly son, if it was our Sammy… then yeah, he'd be in over his head; but right now, I don't know… he reminds me of you." John said as he continued to watch the girl flirt, and the boy reel her in even more. He heard the snort of disbelief at his side and knew that Dean didn't believe him, but what he said was true; right now, the kid Lucas reminded him a lot of the guard dog attitude with Casanova tendency's that Dean used to show – and it was more than a little unnerving.

Before either of them could say anything else, a scream from across the street caught their attention and sent Lucas barreling into the diner without so much as a glance to the girl who was previously clinging to him. Not liking the feeling either of them were getting, they both ran towards the building in hopes of getting a clue as to what was going on in the small town. As soon as they entered the empty establishment they soon realized that whatever was going on was happening upstairs. The sounds of a woman crying and a man yelling didn't make anything clearer until they heard the distinctive yell of Lucas cutting through the chaos.

"Damn it Frank, take the damn keys and bring the truck around!" Lucas yelled as the sound of keys being tossed echoed down the stairs soon followed by the sound of boots hitting the wooden steps.

A middle aged man rushed by the growing crowd as he muttered under his breath. The Sheriff walked in the door about the time Lucas emerged from the stairwell carrying a bundle of blankets as if he were holding onto fine china; it didn't take anyone any time at all to tell he was carrying Maude.

"Lucas, son… what happened?" Sheriff Smythe asked as he helped to make way for the young man and his burden.

Lucas shook his head before nodding towards the woman who was following close behind him.

"I don't know who it was Sheriff, but he was tall with dark hair… kind of stocky and… oh!" the woman who had screamed in terror earlier tapered off as she caught John's eye. "OH!"

"Now wait a minute!" Dean shouted as he placed himself in front of his Dad. "He was with me across the street when we heard the yelling!"

John knew this could get very tense very quickly and held up his hand before turning towards the Sherriff. "My son and I will stay in the area for any questions you might have."

Lucas gave a disgusted snort as he stormed past, not even bothering to answer the questions that were being tossed his way. It didn't take long for him to shoulder his way to the door and make his way to the old truck that Frank stopped in front of him. It was clear that his one priority was in his arms and everyone else could go to Hell for all he cared.

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Salina wasn't a large town, but it was the closest one with a decent hospital with less than an hour drive attached. It wasn't unheard of for their emergency room to be filled to standing room only when a rodeo was anywhere in the surrounding vicinity, even though there were other clinics close by. Luckily, Salina County General was having a lull today with neither rodeo nor circus in sight for the next two weeks.

It didn't take long for the nurses and support staff to understand that if they wanted to get a look at their new patient, they would need to work around the very large man standing guard over her. At first there was no one who wanted to dare to cross this man, but it was easily discovered that his one and only concern was the woman he so fervently guarded. With that knowledge, a petite nurse with large trusting eyes convinced Lucas that in order to help his friend he would need to leave her side for only a few minutes while they took her for a CT scan and it still took an extracted promise that she would personally come for him as soon as Maude was back.

The cup of coffee that had been firmly placed in his hand by the tiny woman, when she came with the horrible news that Maude needed surgery, sat untasted even as it grew increasingly cold. He was sure he was supposed to understand what the doctor had said, and he was even more sure that at one time he probably could have had an extremely intelligent conversation with the surgeon who had turned his life upside down, but right now all that ran through his head was that his best friend, his family, was very possibly dying on an operating table with no one around that she knew.

When he saw Maude lying on the living room floor beaten and bloody he could have sworn his heart stopped. It was bad enough that he hadn't been there to stop it, but for someone else to have discovered her was unforgiveable in his eyes. In fact, if it had been anyone but Cindy Wyler who had sounded the alert, he would have most likely killed them just on sheer principal. Maude had been too good to him for so many years, and now he was having to wait to see if he would even be allowed to see her one last time; it was a nightmare that he had had every night since he woke up in the hospital with no idea who he was five years ago only to find the older woman had already taken him in even though she had no idea who he was either.

"Is this seat taken?"

The voice out of nowhere startled Lucas to the point that the dark fluid in his hands actually trembled slightly until the hands holding it stilled. Looking to his side he saw a young man around his age waiting to see if he'd be allowed the chair next to him. Not knowing what else to do since social graces were never his thing, he shrugged his shoulder and waited to see what the other man would do. It didn't take long for the answer to come; nothing. The stranger sat next to him but didn't say anything, as if his mere presence were enough to make him feel better; strangely enough, it was if only a tiny bit.

"I don't think you or your friends did it." Lucas said quietly as he watched the door that led to his family in hopes that the surgeon would walk out. "I'll let the Sheriff know I saw the two of you across the street, but you might want to leave town pretty quick; Maude is the town favorite."

Dean took a deep breath before he nodded in understanding. He had been on the receiving end of small town justice and it wasn't something he wanted to repeat anytime soon. "Any idea who did it?" he asked, hoping to keep the conversation going if for no other reason than to find out if this was who he really thought it was.

When Lucas looked at Dean there was no warmth in his green eyes, just a hard steel coldness that conveyed the contempt he felt for the person responsible for his friend being there. Seeing that his message had gotten through without words, he gave a short nod before continuing his contemplation of his cup of coffee.

Not knowing what to say or do, Dean stayed quiet and silently prayed that Jim and the others were having better luck than he was.

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Jim knew he was taking unfair advantage, but he really needed to get back to where Maude was being treated and get to the bottom of this. He knew that Caleb was keeping John in line and Joshua was watching over both Dean and Lucas, which gave him and Bobby the opportunity to sneak in and test out a theory that they had the night before. It hadn't been easy to get John to admit what he had done to his youngest boy, and when the whole story unfolded they all had a new found irritation with the man, but it was Dean who put everything into perspective for them until they knew they had to finish this hunt if for no other reason than to save a true innocent in all of this; Sammy.

"_Ok John, it's time to tell us the rest of the story about what happened that night. We get that you went off to confront a witch who seemed determined to grant wishes, even though you had no idea what the source of her power was. What I don't get is why did she attack when she had never been violent before?" Caleb asked as he paced the small living room after watching the man with the youngest Winchester's face drive off as if the demons of Hell were on his ass._

_Dean continued to stare out the window and didn't look back until he started to hear his father's version of the story and for some reason he couldn't stay silent any longer. "No Dad, tell them the truth for once. Sammy asked you why we couldn't just ask her to stop what she was doing, but you were determined to do things your way and even made him feel stupid for even thinking something like that. Damn, I didn't help matters any, but he was determined to make you proud of him and he was willing to jump in front of whatever it was that she threw at me. Do you get it now Dad? The witch couldn't have done what she did without someone giving her permission to do it and I know for a fact that I didn't ask for him to be gone, so what did you want dad? What the hell did you want so damn badly that she was willing to kill my little brother to grant it?" he demanded as he turned around to face off with the man that he once thought a superhero._

_The room got quiet as the words that were poured out penetrated their thoughts and the meaning became clear. With everyone looking at the eldest Winchester with disbelief there wasn't much he could do but confess his greatest sin._

"_I just wanted him to be more like Dean… that's all. I never would have thought that…"_

"_That she would have given you an opportunity to show you just how like Dean Sammy was?" Jim asked in quiet disbelief. He'd known John for many years and had found him to be a man who wasn't one to share his burdens lightly, but this was something that he wasn't sure he was willing to help carry the weight of._

"_I didn't wish my son to die, damn it!" John bellowed towards them, all the while preparing to find someplace in the area where he could drown his memory of that night away._

_Bobby couldn't believe what he'd heard, and even less what was running through his head. "She's never attacked straight on, right? How about kill people?" he asked, hoping that he was right especially in light of what Jim had found out._

Jim couldn't believe how much hope had been gained after that conversation, but at the same time the pressure to find out the truth had grown; it had been too long already that they didn't have young Sam with them – way too long. They had quickly figured out that the witch would most likely stay close to oversee her handiwork, and if so then it only made sense for her to be Maude. With that knowledge it was determined that someone would find her and make sure she didn't do any more damage until they could find a way to reverse what she had already done. Now though with the woman in the hospital, he was going to have to find her and prove once and for all that she wasn't who she claimed to be. It didn't take long for him to reach the door that lead to the woman who Lucas was so obviously attached to, but what was happening beyond made him wonder if maybe they were barking up the wrong tree after all.

The operating room was full of activity and the people yelling and rushing around seemed to grow with an intensity that would make any TV drama pale in comparison. The sound of a man yelling over the screeching of the monitors and the rustling of the support personnel brought the seriousness of the situation home.

"Damn it, we're losing her. How she lasted this long I don't know but I'm going to give her every chance to come back."

"Dr. Morris, we're close to doing more damage than helping here. Don't you think…"

"What I think is that I don't want to tangle with that man waiting out there for her, do you? Didn't think so… charge again!"

Bobby and Jim stared as the hospital staff worked hard to bring the old woman back which brought forth a question that they shared. If the witch couldn't be killed by conventional means, then how could this be happening? More to the point though, if she wasn't the witch, then who was?


	4. Chapter 4

It hadn't taken the nursing staff of the ICU long to get the word out that if anything was to be done for the patient in room three it would be supervised by the man that had stationed himself inside the room two days ago and hadn't left since. At first the insistence of the young man that he stay in there with his friend, even past visiting hours, was met with stubbornness – after all, they had a job too and they didn't need just anyone dropping in any damn time they felt like it. However when it was apparent that it was going to take more than what they had on the floor to remove this person from the room, the mistake of calling security was made. It took less than three minutes for the hospital security personnel to show up and less than two for a call to the police department to be made, giving everyone the impression that everything would be taken care of and they all could get back to doing what they were supposed to be doing. What they weren't expecting was two officers walking down the hallway with what appeared to be two sheriff's from two different areas. By the time an agreement was met the man in question had not only resumed his post but had settled in between the bed and door with a more set posture than before; there was no way he was leaving.

Lucas watched carefully as the new day nurse carefully exchanged one saline solution bag for another, not really bothering with taking in the details of the young woman's face; he had too many other things to worry about – like if Maude was going to make it, and the best way to make whoever did this to her pay. He was still contemplating both issues when he heard a new sound – two sets of footsteps, both wearing boots. Sighing he knew without looking who it was and wished that both of them would drop off the planet, or at the very least leave him alone. The past couple of days had been filled with watching every breath Maude made scattered intermittently with fielding questions from the two men at the diner about how he was doing.

'Yeah, like they'd really care about how I was doing?' Lucas thought crossly to himself as he listened to the booted steps pause at the doorway before resuming their trek into the room. Looking up only for a moment he didn't feel satisfaction in knowing he was right, in fact it only seemed to irritate him more. The guy called Dean looked as if he were about to bust with want in asking him something while the older one John would spend the whole time staring at him as if working out a puzzle in his head. Either way he felt very uncomfortable and that didn't set well with him at all.

"We brought you more coffee and the Sheriff sent up a bearclaw, said something about it being your favorite." Dean said as he handed the two items to Lucas. He didn't want to mention that he already knew it was the younger man's favorite even before the run-in with the Sheriff, he didn't think that would go over very well at all. Seeing that their peace offering was accepted if not appreciated, he looked back at his dad to see what he thought about this whole situation and was surprised to find that for the first time in his life, he couldn't read the eldest Winchester.

John stood there and stared at the two men in front of him and wondered just how he could have been so damn stupid. He had known there was a witch close by granting demented wishes and he had been egotistical enough to think that the thing wouldn't dare to latch onto him and his thoughts – funny how life has a way of biting you in ass when you least expect it. As he watched Dean give Lucas the food they had bought for him, he knew that the only way to get things back to way they were was to find out where the witch was and deal with her appropriately. But if the woman lying unconscious before him wasn't the bitch he was looking for – who was and where were they going to find her?

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Jim and Caleb sat at the table of the diner and pondered what they already knew – Maude wasn't the witch that had turned everything upside down. Neither of them wanted to admit that they didn't have any new leads and neither one of them were ready to quit their search. It was a frustrating situation, but one they were going to have to deal with if they were going to get some answers.

"Is that going to be it for you guys?" the tiny waitress asked as she continued to look over her shoulder to the other customers who were waiting impatiently for their orders. Seeing the questioningly look on their faces she tried to smile. "Sorry, it's just with both Maude and Lucas out we're swamped and everyone's a little on edge. I know it doesn't look like much, but we care for each other and when one of us is down the rest of us feel it."

Both men stared at the retreating figure and wondered about what brought that on. They would have thought more about it except Bobby walked into the diner looking as if hellhounds were on his tail. Before either of them had a chance to ask what was going on, the other hunter tossed ten dollars on the table before demanding, "Come on you idgits, we need to go."

Not bothering to ask what was going on, Jim and Caleb followed the other hunter outside and into his truck in time for them to speed off down the road, leaving the small town quickly behind. It didn't take long to get to an abandoned farm outside of town and pull off the side of the road. Bobby motioned for them to get out of the truck and meet Joshua who was standing staring transfixed at a dead field.

Puzzled, Jim approached the other hunter with trepidation. It wasn't until all four of them had gathered at a particularly desolate spot that Joshua spoke, giving them all a new insight as to what they were dealing with.

"This field was part of a working farm until five years ago. The year after Sammy appeared out of nowhere this whole section wasn't able to grow anything. No one's thought anything about it since this part of the state is known for unpredictable conditions, but that's not what I found so interesting – look." Josh said as he pointed towards an area that was being used to store round bales of hay. The area had been burnt deep into the soil and it wasn't until they maneuvered several bales out of the way that they saw the shape it made – Raidho, the ancient rune for transportation.

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Lucas was tired, he was cranky, and his normal prickly disposition had left awhile ago leaving in its place a more volatile one making those around him cringe in apprehension anytime someone so much as breathed wrong around the frail woman who had yet to waken.

Dean and John both knew that they needed to get the other man out of the room for the sanity of the staff if not his own well being. They both knew how stressful sitting vigil for someone you care about can be and felt that their job at the moment was to do whatever it took to get Lucas up and moving around – preferably outside of the room.

"So, Lucas… how about coming with us to get something to eat?" Dean asked before he could stop himself. He knew that was the stupidest thing to say, but he hadn't been able to come up with a better excuse off the top of his head, and his dad wasn't exactly helping at the moment. Sighing he knew what he'd find when he looked back at the other man and he was right; the rage in those eyes was enough to send a sliver of fear through his spine and that didn't set well with him. Before he had a chance to say anything at all though, a knock at the doorframe brought everyone's attention to the doctor that was making his way into the room.

"I'm very sorry for the delay Mr…."

"Lucas… just Lucas. How is she really?" Lucas asked as he continued to watch Maude lie on the bed unresponsive.

Sighing, the doctor looked around the room with obvious reproach in his eyes when he saw two other people in the room. Seeing though that whoever they were weren't disturbing the young man in front of him, he grudgingly answered. "Well, her vitals are starting to come back up to normal levels and the internal bleeding that we surgically repaired is healing nicely. Right now though our main concern is bringing her blood count back up without any adverse effects."

Lucas groaned slightly as he remembered their earlier attempts to replenish Maude's blood supply; she had almost instantly broken out in hives, alarming the emergency staff. It took several doses of Benadryl to get it under control, but it was easy to tell that they didn't want to risk it again if at all possible. Nodding, he silently signaled that he was ready to listen to whatever idea the man was going to try to convince him of.

"As you know, the earlier attempts were… disturbing, however we believe we have found an alternative solution, but it will lengthen her stay as we continue to monitor her progress. We're proposing routine injections of iron. It should help rebuild her red blood cells without the risk of reaction she had before."

Nodding, Lucas once again silently dismissed the doctor and took up his previous pastime of Maude watching. He knew the others were still in the room, but he could care less at this point; his one and only concern lay unconscious in the bed in front of him and no matter what the doctor tried to project, he knew her chances weren't very good.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I hope everyone enjoys this... honestly, I'm still a bit concerned about it. Take care!

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The pastor had barely finished the 'Amen' before Lucas turned away from the coffin and made his way through the crowd ignoring those who wished him well, as well as ignoring those who looked upon him with distain. He gave only a cursory glance up at the sky and wondered how it could be so sunny and bright when the world was suddenly a darker place. Taking a deep breath he walked over to the tree at the side of the worn path that ran through the small cemetery and picked up his duffle bag before beginning his trek towards the main road.

Jim looked over and saw Lucas' quiet escape and nudged Caleb before noticing that Dean was already following the younger man. It took him a moment to realize that he was being spoken to and after apologizing; he was tossed into another conversation with Pastor Simmons.

"I have no idea what to do. We all have tried to talk to him, but he barely acknowledges us much less actually speaks to anyone." The pastor said solemnly as he too watched Lucas walk away. "It's bad enough that Maude died and the Sheriff has no idea who did it, but for her family to come in and lay claim on everything – even going so far as to kick the poor boy out of the apartment…"

"Wait… what?" Jim asked, sure he misheard. He quickly glanced at the other hunters and knew they too were wondering what the man said.

Nodding, the pastor repeated. "They walked in, told Lucas to get out and not come back. Of course he did exactly as they wanted, even he knew he had no recourse since she didn't have a will, but still – after everything he's done for Maude. You know, none of them showed up two years ago when she came down with pneumonia and the doctors thought she wasn't going to make it?" Seeing the shock on the priest's face he sighed. "Lucas drove her to Oklahoma City because he remembered her saying that she missed the doctor she used to have, that he'd moved to a bigger hospital. As far as any of us know, he didn't leave her side a moment. When they came back, his protective streak towards her had doubled in size and strength – no one could get close to her without his approval. Now I wonder if he'll ever let anyone do the same for him."

Caleb grumbled something underneath his breath before he turned and walked away, bumping into John with his shoulder as he went. Not caring how the other man took it, he continued on his quest to get to the truck and go after both boys – there had been enough pain, it was past time to get this whole situation sorted out and bring their Sammy back.

As Caleb walked away, Bobby looked at John and wondered what was going through that head of his. It seemed as if after everyone had been brought up to speed about the rune that had been scorched into the field, that the eldest Winchester had been brooding and that didn't bode well with any of the other hunters.

"You mentioned that the field Lucas was found in had been owned by Abner Wilcox, is that right?" John asked the pastor in front of him, not looking at the man, but more off to the side of him.

Puzzled, Pastor Simmons nodded and smiled sadly. "Yes, yes I did. Poor man, he got frail in his older years, but it wasn't until… let's see… six maybe… yes, six years ago that his health really took a steep turn. When he passed away a couple of years ago his family was actually a little relieved by it since he wasn't suffering anymore."

John looked puzzled for a moment before he nodded and asked, "Is there any way we can speak to whoever owns the property now?"

The pastor looked surprised for a moment before responding. "Well, technically that would be me. He deeded the farm to the church before he passed away, and I've been handling its affairs ever since.

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Dean had no idea what was up with these people but he knew one thing for certain – they all deserved what they were getting. All through the funeral, he kept an eye on the man he'd come to call Lucas while he listened to whispered conversations around him. It didn't take long to get the gist of what was being said; the hard feelings that were being shared and a lot of it had been aimed towards the kid he was now following. Apparently it was well known that Maude's nephews and cousins had shown up demanding to know every aspect of the old woman's life and assets all the while demanding that Lucas left without causing a fuss. That had angered him, but when he found out that Lucas had actually done what they had wanted, he had wanted to demand from the townspeople why they hadn't stepped in. It took only another few moments before he found his answer – they were blaming him for the loss of Maude, the loss of everything they had come to count on as stable and continuous. He would never understand people; it seemed that if they could blame someone for their troubles then they would without any hesitation.

"You got lost?" Lucas asked as he stopped suddenly and turned towards Dean. Seeing the puzzled look on the other man's face, he stared harshly. "People only follow other people if their lost or is a stalker."

Smirking, Dean shook his head. "Dude, you're _so_ not my type and I doubt anyone could get lost in this dinky assed town."

Lucas stared at Dean for a moment before turning away and once again walked down the road.

"Hey, you know we're in the middle of nowhere. So how about we go and get my car?" Dean asked before biting his tongue so something else wouldn't jump out of his mouth. He instantly knew he was treading on thin ice and he couldn't blame the guy, if someone was bugging the hell out of him, he wouldn't take it too well either.

Before Lucas could say anything else, a car stopped next to him. "Lucas, please reconsider. Maude wouldn't want you to go."

"Maude's dead Pastor Simmons, she's not coming back and neither am I."

"Son, come back to the church with me and we'll work something out. You know as well as I do that not everyone feels the way her nephews do. Please reconsider." Pastor Simmons sounded almost desperate and that made Dean wonder what the man really had in mind. It didn't take long to get an answer, but it wasn't one either man was expecting and left Dean to wonder about the person who just flipped off a man of God.

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John knew he was missing something, or at the very least not putting the pieces together properly. He could only hope that he figured it out before it was too late; then again, maybe it already was.

"What are you thinking John?" Bobby asked cautiously. They were all staring at the pastor who had left quickly after making an appointment to meet with them the next day. It seemed to him that the man was determined to drag the boy Lucas back to the fold and he couldn't help but wonder about it.

Shaking his head John had no idea how to answer his friend. It was bad enough that this whole situation started with him, but for him not to know how to fix it was more than a little unnerving. He watched as Pastor Simmons drove his beat up compact car towards his boys and stop, obviously trying to talk some sense into Lucas, but the boy just wasn't buying it if the finger he just sported was any indication. He had to hand it to the boy – he got his point across.

"John, we need to finish this – one way or another." Joshua said quietly. He'd been watching everything and everyone and he had to admit… the whole situation made him itch. It wasn't so much that the woman died, she was pretty old and apparently had been failing in health for awhile, but the timing of it all just stunk. Seeing that he had his friend's attention he shrugged. "Do you really think that it's a coincidence that Maude is killed right after we show up? I mean yeah, the weirdness of this whole hunt leaves everything up in the air, but we find Sammy after thinking for six years that he's dead and…"

"What?" John asked as if he hadn't really been paying attention and then suddenly was pulled back into the conversation. "Six years?"

Joshua looked at the others warily before turning back to John. "Yeah John, six years. Come on, you can't tell me that you don't remember how long…"

"I know how long it's been damn it!" John bellowed before he turned fully to his friends. "Don't you think that it's strange that the farmer the pastor was talking about suddenly takes a downturn the same time Sammy is killed and a year before he suddenly resurfaces here?" Seeing the puzzled look on their faces he smirks slightly. "Yeah, ok… maybe I'm jumping at shadows, but something's not right here and standing here isn't going to help us figure it out."

Caleb looked around outside of their little group and noticed that although the townspeople were still lingering, the newcomers known as Maude's relatives had left quickly, barely staying for the whole service opting instead to go back to the diner to pour over bank statements and property deeds. He didn't think he'd ever understand people and what they would do to their own. Speaking of which… as he looked towards the roadside he saw just how far Dean had gotten with the Lucas kid – nowhere. Taking a deep breath, he nudged Jim and motioned for the Impala.

Nodding, Jim placed a calming hand on John and gently pulled him to the car in hopes that the man would willingly come along. Amazingly, John only took a cursory glance around before he nodded in acknowledgment and walked quickly towards his classic car – he suddenly had the feeling that they weren't the hunters, but the hunted.

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Dean continued to follow Lucas all the while tamping down the urge to tell the kid everything that he had wanted to tell Sammy since that fateful night six years ago. Instead, he quietly walked down the road and pretended that the silence wasn't killing him.

The sound of the Impala and a truck getting closer pulled Dean out of his thoughts and he was more than a little surprised when both vehicles pulled over in front of Lucas. Curious as to what his dad and friends were thinking, he watched and listened as Jim hung out the truck door and smiled at Lucas.

"There's no need for you to walk the whole way to wherever you're going. You can hop in the back and when you're ready to be let off you can just tap on the glass." Jim said with a friendly smile. There had been only a brief conversation while everyone went to the car and truck, but everyone knew how important this was – if there was any chance of finding out the truth, then they needed to protect Lucas now.

Looking at the priest Lucas thought a moment before looking back where he came from and where he was going. He knew he didn't have a destination in mind, and in all honesty he knew that everyone knew that, but that didn't mean he had to admit it. Then again what did he have to lose? Five years ago he walked came into this town without knowing anything about himself, and he guessed it was only right to leave the same way – thankfully though without the damage sustained from being hit by a car. Taking one last look around, he nodded a moment before tossing his bag in the back and quickly followed it.

"Get in Dean." John said firmly as Caleb opened the Impala's door from the inside. He knew that Dean wanted to stay next to Lucas, but if this was going to work, then they needed to give the boy some space – especially Dean.

John watched the truck in front of them and if he was honest he would admit he was watching Lucas in the back of the truck than the truck itself. Where his son Sammy was always inquisitive about the things around him, Lucas seemed content to take things as they came. That in itself was a little disturbing, but when the kid leaned back and seemed to fall asleep within a blink of an eye it hit him where he'd seen that lax attitude before and it brought back something that he had hoped was over and done with.

'_Damn it, I wish that Sammy was more like Dean. We could get a whole hell of a lot more done if he was.'_

It had been a stray thought during a high stress time, and he sure as hell didn't think that anything would have come of it – but now he could see the truth, and he didn't like it. This wasn't just some coincidence, some spell, or even some sort of demented joke purported by some demon – no, this really was an aftershock of a careless angry wish made in the heat of the moment with no regard to what it would do to his son. The truth of the matter was he had never appreciated his youngest son, had started seeing him as an obligation after the boy got to a certain age, and it only occurred to him how much both he and Dean relied on Sammy after he was gone and wasn't available to spout off some absurd piece of information that was both annoying and useful at the same time. Now he understood what the witch meant about disaster – now he understood what he caused his family to lose; now he just needed to figure out what to do about it.

Seeing Bobby's truck pull off at a diner two and a half hours later, John wondered what Lucas would do now that they had stopped. It took the younger man a moment to realize they were in another town on another highway and before anyone else could do anything he shook Bobby and Jim's hand, thanked them for the ride and walked into the all night diner leaving the others to wonder what to do next.

"Great, that went well." Dean groused to the disapproving gaze of his father. Any retort he would have made was cut off by the sound of a fight inside the small building, causing the hunters to grab their weapons and rush inside.

It took a moment for their eyes to get adjusted to the darker area, but when they did they didn't know just how much worse things could get. There were more than a dozen patrons in the diner, not counting Lucas who was now unconscious on the floor against the counter, all demons – all more than willing to start a fight.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I hope you enjoy this chapter... don't forget to let me know.

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Dean stood completely still as the realization that they were completely out numbered stared him in the face. He tried not to look at Lucas, but it was hard to know that the kid could be dead for as little as he was moving. Ignoring that train of thought, he gladly let Caleb move to his side while Bobby and Jim branched out. Although he had no clue where his dad was, he had a feeling that he was going to be very thankful for his momentary absence.

"Ah, another Winchester – good, we've been waiting a very long time for this." One of the patrons of the diner said as he moved to the center of the room. "As you can see – one just isn't enough."

Caleb knew the taunt was ripping Dean apart, but it was something that had to be ignored for the moment as they had more important things to worry about, mainly – how did they know about Lucas being Sammy? Before he could voice his question though he and the others were frozen in their spots and anything that they wondered before suddenly didn't seem to matter.

"Oh come now, you can't tell me that none of you already suspected that we were close by watching and waiting did you?" the demon asked before cackling. "You didn't! After everything that we did to that Podunk town, which wasn't anything compared to what we wanted to do, and you still thought that you'd be able to take little Sammy here home and make him all better. Oh man… that's just… priceless." The demon possessed man laughed, soon joined by the others until their voices taunted the hunters as one. "Yeah, well, we can't always have what we want though. A pity really – we could have had so much fun with him. Since we can't though, we'll just have to settle for you."

Bobby had his suspicions about what was going on, but until they could get out of this mess he wouldn't be able to confirm them. 'Come on Johnny…whatever you're doing, DO IT!' he thought, exasperated about the position they now found themselves in and not knowing how to fight a dozen demons, while pinned in place, to stop it.

"What the hell?" groaned Lucas as he became aware of four things at once – one: his head hurt enough to make him wonder if Jenny Larsen's dad caught him making out with his daughter again, two: he was on a very cold floor, three: the people who'd been bugging him for the past week was there, four: the other people in the diner had black eyes. 'Ok, that'll teach me to hit the bottle before two in the afternoon.' He thought as he rubbed his neck and tried to sit up without falling over. Only partially succeeding and finally able to lean against a chair he continued to watch while the people with black eyes looked at him as if they wanted to devour him raw. Before he was able to do anything more he heard the kitchen door fly open and saw water spray the people in the diner before half of them started screaming until finally black stuff went shooting out of their mouths.

Stunned, Lucas could only stare at what he saw before he looked at the others who seemed way calmer than they should be. "What the hell was that?"

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It took over an hour for Bobby and Jim to talk to the people from the diner and what they found out was pretty straight forward, they had been used for the past couple of months strictly as observers with an occasional act of mischief tossed in. What was odd though was that the people understood that they had been used, and although rightly freaked about it, were more than willing to let them know what they knew – the demons hadn't been allowed to mess with Lucas directly.

Sighing, both men looked over at the young man in question and knew that the conversation that was taking place on the other side of the diner wasn't going as well as any of them would have liked.

"Look, I don't know what you're playing at, but that doesn't really happen, ok? So how about you take your crappy screenplay and leave me the hell alone." Lucas yelled as he gingerly grabbed his bag and started his trek to the door. He might have been hungry before walking through the door, but he'd be damned if he stood around and let someone try to lie to his face.

"You feel like you've been hit by a brick wall, the last thing you remember is facing someone half your size and probably thinking 'is this guy for real?' when he attacked you. You know that there's no way that hundred and fifty pound guy over there could have taken you on and won, but there you are picking yourself off the floor – how do you explain that?" Dean challenged. He knew it was a long shot, but he also knew that if they had half a shot in keeping his little brother safe, then they needed him to stay with them.

Lucas paused a moment before answering, "LCD. It makes people stronger than what they are. So, have I answered your question?"

John watched as his youngest son walked off without even really listening to them. He looked at Dean frustrated but was more shocked when he saw his son's look of utter betrayal aimed at him.

"You just had to do it didn't you? You couldn't have let him stay the way he was, you had to keep comparing him to me and you. Well guess what dad? You've succeeded, because if I didn't already know about this crap, I wouldn't believe it either." Dean practically shouted before slamming through the door after his brother.

"Damn it." John muttered before he sat heavily in the closest chair. He hated that Dean felt the need to point out the obvious to him, but he had and it was well deserved. If it hadn't been for him then he'd have both sons with him and they wouldn't be in this mess of trying to find out who the witch was and what she wanted with Sammy.

Caleb put a hand on his friend's shoulder but inside he was seething – everything about this stunk and they were no closer to finding out how to fix it than they were weeks ago. "John, first off… thanks for the quick holy water fix. Next… get off your butt and go after them. It's obvious that although demons aren't allowed to do any real damage to him, they're still very interested in Sammy. Go after the boys and we'll find a place to hole up for a little while, hopefully we'll be able to figure this out soon and undo this mess."

Nodding John had to agree, sitting there wasn't helping anything and he needed to have his boys' backs while everything else around them was falling apart. It didn't take long to get outside but what he saw stopped him in his tracks – his sons were brawling in the middle of the highway!

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Ok, so he shouldn't have said 'Make me' when the man in front of him had told him to back off and leave him alone, but what else could he have done? So his brother had four inches and a good thirty pounds over on him if those damn arms were anything to go by, but that shouldn't make that much difference, right? Dean thought of how he got into this mess of trying very hard not to get in the path of the swinging fist – he'd already made that mistake once, and really didn't want a repeat. However the problem was the same, his brother wasn't listening to reason and that was enough to make Dean more than a little cranky.

Ducking and backing away, Dean carefully sidestepped and swung around until he was behind Lucas before he implemented a choke hold only to stumble back once the back of Lucas' head connected hard to his head. 'Damn that hurt.' He thought as he tried to push the spots dancing in front of his eyes away. He half expected Lucas to press his advantage but he found himself admiring the younger man for his restraint. Finally able to see clearly once again he tackled Lucas to the asphalt and tried to pin down at least one arm while at the same time attempting to stay away from the one free arm that was determined to do as much damage as the two together would have. The sudden shove sent him sprawling on his back onto the shoulder of the road helplessly watching as his little brother once again walked away from him. Yelling, he got back to his feet and pulled away from his dad before going after the wayward Winchester once again. He had made it a total of two steps before he heard a car speeding down the road and the unmistakable sound of a blowout drowned out everything else – including the fact that the speeding vehicle was now out of control and going towards Sammy!

The screeching of brakes, the screaming of Winchesters and the solid sound of the car hitting another solid object seemed to echo forever until Dean was able to take in the full scene of the sub compact car with a bumper sticker that read "Got God?" on it had just hit his baby brother. As he started to run to the fallen body of his Sammy, he was barely aware of Pastor Simmons exiting the vehicle and asking horrified, "Oh my… is he alright?"

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AN: I'm awful... I know!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: 1st off, let me apologize for a blatent error in the last chapter when Lucas talks about a drug... I was trying to decide between LSD and PCP and well, we ended up with LCD - yes people, my mind does that without any help of drugs or alcohol... scary isn't it?

2nd: I have severe reservations about this chapter, but need it out of the way to get back to the real meat of the story. So please, bear with me, ok? Thanks, I hope you enjoy it anyway.

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One second he was walking, he knew he was walking because he distinctly remembered the feel of his booted feet hitting the asphalt, then the next an all too familiar pain hit him and he had to wonder just what the odds were of getting hit by a car more than once in a lifetime. 'Damn, I have to be cursed.' Lucas thought as he stared straight up at the clear blue sky and wished that the person blocking his view would do him the great favor of moving. It took him another moment to understand that it was the very people he was trying to get away from that were hunched over him as if he were the most terrifying thing on the planet. 'Huh, funny… I could say the same thing about them.' He thought before he closed his eyes and let darkness take him.

"SAMMY!?!" Dean yelled as he tried to rouse Lucas without success. "Dad, what the…"

John knew that the kid had hit his head hard and prayed that that was the only injury and if so prayed it wasn't serious. Looking over at the man responsible, he was about to rip him apart when he felt Bobby's hand on his shoulder. Looking over at his friend he saw something in his eyes and wondered what it was that he was missing – a warning, maybe?

"John, let's get the boys loaded up and we can get Lucas to a hospital and get checked out." Bobby said softly while looking at the pastor with a dawning of understanding. 'Damn it, why can't things ever be simple?' he thought as he continued to hold John back from doing more damage. "Come on, we can get him there faster than an ambulance can get here."

Agreeing, John and the others carefully carried Lucas to the Impala and maneuvered him into the backseat. When everyone was ready, they raced down the road leaving the diner and its occupants behind them. It took close to an hour to find a hospital, and in that time no one said a word, but it didn't matter – while the Winchester's worried about the youngest member of their family, Bobby was beginning to worry about them all.

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The sound of murmuring voices started to bring Lucas back to the land of agonizing pain and he wondered what it would take to shut everyone up so he could get back to the very interesting program of absolute nothing that had been playing blissfully in his mind while he had been out for the count. Instead the growing noises in the room made him even more aware until finally he opened his eyes about the same time as full understanding kicked in.

"Look _Pastor_, we get that you really want to make amends for what you did to my little brother, but you need to understand something – he's my responsibility and no one… not you, the quacks, or even God himself is going to tell me what's best for him, got it?"

Pastor Simmons stood and stared harshly at Dean. "I understand young man how you might think you know what's best, but even the doctors are saying that he could have a very rough road ahead and…"

"Yeah, no thanks to you. What the hell possessed you to go that fast in that death trap anyway? You almost killed Sammy! Do you get that? Do you understand that you could have killed my brother?"

Not sure he was fully understanding what he thought he was hearing, Lucas focused on the younger man of the group before croaking out, "What did you just say?"

Shocked would have been an understatement in how Dean suddenly felt when he heard Sammy's voice ask him what he'd said, but he couldn't care about that… he was so damn happy that the kid was finally awake. Sure, it had only been two days… but it had been _Two. Damn. Days_! He was just about to say something to that effect when his dad had to go and blow it all.

"How are you feeling Lucas?" John asked, hoping – no, praying for a few precious moments to find a way to back them out of this situation. The last thing they needed was the kid to start freaking out on them and getting them all removed from his room.

"Look, I might not have all my marbles in the same bag, but I'm not out of my head either. Now what did you just say?" Lucas demanded while wondering just what was keeping the nurses away. He was holding down the button and he wasn't going to remove his fingers until someone either showed up or started explaining what the hell was going on. He saw the worry and the apprehension in the others' faces but he couldn't care less at the moment. Right now he wanted some damn answers and he wasn't going to wait any longer to find them. He had just finished throwing the covers to the side and swung his legs to the side of the bed when a middle aged man rushed in the room as if he was only able to squeeze in this visit in between all his other more important duties.

"Mr. Morrison, I see you're awake. Wonderful. Now, as I'm sure you've already been told, the surgery to fix your hip was a success and you should be up and around in no time. Of course you'll need to pace yourself for the next couple of weeks and not strain yourself for the next couple of days, but I'm sure once you're sitting up for a couple of hours you'll see what I mean. Now, if you don't have any questions, I'll leave you in your family's care. Make sure to let the nurse know if you need anything."

With that last sentence, the doctor was making his way back out the door and disappearing into the hallway leaving a room of shocked people behind.

"What the…surgery? For what? And who the hell is Mr. Morrison?" Lucas demanded before he looked down and saw the incision site on his left hip. _"What the hell?!?"_

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Bobby sat and looked over his notes before he pushed his cap back and scratched his head a moment. He knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed at times, but this whole situation stunk to high heaven and he needed to figure out what was really going on before sharing his suspicions with anyone else. Taking another sip of his coffee he took the opportunity to look around the sparsely occupied cafeteria in the hospital, nothing out of ordinary at the ungodly hour he was occupying it. What was unusual was how his thoughts kept racing back to the young man lying in bed with more questions than answers. He remembered Sammy as a very inquisitive child who got in trouble more times than not for asking more questions in one minute than most people ask in a month. Now that same kid was clueless to what was going on around him and to make it worse, he seemed content to leave it that way.

Sure the kid had a hissy fit when he woke up and found out that they had to glue part of his hip back together when the car hit him, and he was still pissed off about having someone decide on an alias for him 'just in case', but the problem was – he wasn't asking any damn questions about _'why'_ and it was starting to get on everyone's nerves, except for Pastor Simmons. Then again, it seemed like not much fazed the man of the cloth and it would have been so easy to put it down to the fact that most clergymen see way too much in their lifetimes and eventually get used to it. Sure, he could believe that if it wasn't for the fact that he was real good friends with Jim and knew better. No, there was something else going on and he was determined to figure it out. All he needed was a little bit more time where people weren't looking over his damn shoulder every two seconds.

"Hey Bobby, can I join you?"

Looking up, Bobby could tell that Dean was at the end of his rope and silently nodded. He watched the younger man look down at the table as if pondering something before he took a deep breath and ventured on.

"I've really lost him, haven't I?" Dean asked, allowing himself this brief moment to ask the one question that had been preying heavy on his mind for days. "I mean, I know it's him, but it's like something's missing and I don't think he'll ever get it back. What do we do then?"

Shocked, Bobby looked Dean over and wondered how they could have missed how much this was really affecting him. Sure they knew he was a little messed up, but they all were sure he had moved passed the early days after Sammy's death, but now with Lucas on the scene it was as if the kid was falling apart again.

"Dean, you need to realize something. Lucas doesn't understand that he's Sammy, he just knows that he was found in a field, hit by a car and that no one came for him. Now he's faced with all these people who act like they know him and he's freaked about it, so give him a…"

"Damn it Bobby, I know all that. Hell, if it was me, I'd give me attitude too. But that's the thing, he's not me, he's Sammy but right now everything's completely messed up and I have no idea how to fix it."

Nodding, Bobby understood the kid's plight. He was the big brother and was supposed to make sure his baby brother was safe in everything that he did. The fact that Lucas doesn't get that, and instead was acting more like…

"Hey Dean… what was your daddy's wish again? The one that caused this damn mess to begin with?" Bobby asked with trepidation. He already knew that answer, and what was flittering around in his head was really starting to make some sort of sick sense.

Dean had no idea what that had to do with anything, but he knew not to play games when the older hunter had that look on his face. "That Sammy would be more like me. Why?"

Scrambling to get his notes together, Bobby looked at Dean and demanded. "Get your daddy and the others together and meet me in the chapel. Oh and Dean… don't let that other pastor know."

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Sister Mary Martha was not too happy with the brash surgeon who had taken her floor and turned it upside down earlier with his offhanded remarks to the young man in room 312. It hadn't taken long for the news to reach her that Dr. Harrington had done it again by upsetting the ill, but by the time she had managed to get to Lucas Morrison's room everything seemed to have straightened itself out without much effort on her part. After explaining that he had chipped the ball on his femur and that the surgery had pieced it back together, the young man only asked when he would be able to leave. She had seen many patients try to rush their recovery time so she had learned to take a vague approach when giving an actual timeframe. However the boy just would not be dissuaded.

"_With all due respect ma'am, I can always leave with or without the doctor's permission." Lucas said quietly while watching the nun with harsh eyes._

"_I understand that quite well young man, however it's obvious that you are not taking the gravity of your situation seriously. You have a severe concussion that will make your life miserable if not treated properly, as well as your recovery due to the trauma your hip has received. Rest is what you need right now, not to go traipsing off into the sunset." Sister Mary Martha said firmly as she stared down her charge. She wasn't one to be put off easily, and she was determined to make sure he got as much rest as possible before his family took over his care._

_Lucas continued to watch her as he mulled over another plan in his mind. Finally nodding he smiled slightly. "Yes ma'am, but I hope you understand that your argument is only going to work until I can make it to the door on my own."_

She couldn't help but laugh. Oh he had spirit and she had to admire him for it. Hopefully though he wouldn't make good on his threat to leave AMA, but somehow he doubted he'd be willing to stay longer than he felt necessary. Taking another set of bedding from the supply closet, she turned to resume her duties and tried very hard to put the young man from her mind.

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"Ok, this is what we've got. John, you made an ill-timed wish that Sammy was more like Dean, then Sammy died while trying to protect Dean. We have a little piece of nowhere town that has people either disappearing or reappearing, cattle mutilations, possessions and even a murder or two tossed in after Lucas arrives on the scene one year after Sammy's death which happened about the same time a farmer gives complete control of his farm to the local church. This same farm is the same one Lucas is found in and around the area the transportation sigil was scorched into the ground. Pastor Simmons seems to be the only one willing to talk to us about the town and more specifically Lucas. Pastor Simmons is the one who controls the farm. Pastor Simmons is the one who hit Lucas with the car and landed him in the hospital. I'm starting to see a pattern here… anyone else?" Bobby asked while looking around to see if maybe he was completely off his rocker or if maybe there was possibly something to this.

Caleb had been trying not to butt in for awhile now and knew that Joshua felt the same way, but even they had to admit that it was now like looking at a giant flashing neon sign. Looking around he saw that Dean was about to explode and he couldn't quite blame the guy. His little brother had been thought dead only to turn up and now it looks like had been in the presence of the witch all along. Suddenly though something hit him. "So where was he for that missing year?"

Bobby had no idea and conveyed it with a slight shrug and a hand gesture to show that he was as much in the dark about that as they were.

"Would that sigil be able to tell us?" John asked, suddenly piecing things together and wondering how he had missed it to begin with. "If it's to signify transportation, can we just ignore that that's where Sammy showed up?"

"Bobby, can I ask why you wanted to meet in the chapel?" Jim asked as he looked around. "Are you thinking he's possessed?"

Shaking his head, Bobby sighed. "I don't know Jim. I just know that until we figure out who or what we're really dealing with, we need to take all the precautions we can."

Suddenly Dean jumped up from his chair. "Sammy!" he yelled as he raced towards the door, not bothering to check to see if anyone was following. He managed to get to the floor without anyone stopping him but he came to a halt suddenly when he saw a nun and the pompous doctor yelling in front of his brother's room.

"…not my job to watch over…"

"It most certainly is your job to watch over the patients here – you are their doctor!"

"I have more important things to do than…"

Feeling that pit in his stomach grow even larger, Dean pushed passed the two bodies and rushed into his brother's room only to find it empty of its occupant. He was just about to ask what was going on when he heard someone walk in the room. Turning, it took only a moment for his already taxed patience to snap. _"What the hell did you do to my brother!?!"_


	8. Chapter 8

AN: My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Kim Manners. He is already greatly missed.

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Dean wouldn't stop yelling no matter what anyone tried or said. It didn't help that none of the hospital staff seemed to take him seriously when he accused the pastor of doing something with his brother, which just fueled his anger.

"Dean, you need to calm down. This isn't helping." John demanded quietly as he physically kept his eldest son away from the other man. He didn't know whether or not the man before him actually had something to do with his youngest's disappearing act, but he did know that standing there yelling at each other wasn't getting them any closer to finding Sammy.

It took a few more minutes before everyone had calmed down enough to fully grasp that Lucas wasn't in the hospital and no one could really recall if they had seen him leave, and even found it impossible that a person who was just beginning to recover from surgery and a severe concussion could have gotten anywhere by his own power.

Bobby and Jim stood close by in hopes of keeping the bloodshed to a minimum but knew that if Dean or John really pressed the issue then it would be close in getting them out of there without the cops being called in. So far though the hospital's security was being very understanding and as long as Dean kept his hands to himself they would stay that way.

Looking at his dad, Dean couldn't understand why he wasn't as upset as he was. The man responsible for his brother not being in his room was right there in front of them and he was doing nothing to find out what he knew!

Patting Dean's shoulder, John motioned for him to go down the hall before turning towards Pastor Simmons. "Look, you might not think much of us and that's fine. But you need to understand one thing. Whatever you've done to Sammy, we'll figure it out and then we'll be back." Not bothering to see what the other man's reaction was, John turned and followed Dean down the hallway, ignoring the other hunters looks. They had managed to get to the elevators when his cell phone rang and upon seeing who it was immediately answered it.

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Joshua pulled the truck over to the side of the road and waited a moment before getting out and walking towards the young man who was currently making his way down the road on a pair of crutches. He'd always known the Winchesters were stubborn, but he never thought that any of them would go to this length.

Sighing, he stopped when he was less than ten feet away. "So, you running away from home Lucas?" he asked while assessing the situation. It was obvious the kid wasn't ready to leave the hospital, but there he was acting like it was perfectly normal for a man in hospital scrubs to be walking down the road. "You've got a lot of people worried about you, kiddo."

Lucas stopped a moment before looking up at the older man's face. "Yeah well, the way I see it, they don't know me, I don't know them and I'd like to get on with it. Now, how about moving?"

He knew that the kid had to be on his last reserves, but the sight before him made Joshua take a small step back in shock. The pain lines around Lucas' face drew his features into a tight contortion that had to be painful in itself without the help of his other injuries. "Nope, sorry kid… you're stuck with me. Now the way I figure it, you can either keep going the way you're going with me right by your side to pick your ass up when you finally collapse, or you can get in the truck and I take you back. The choice is yours."

"Right. Look, I get that I remind you of someone, but how about just leaving me alone and getting back to whatever it is you and your friends do, ok?" Lucas asked as he adjusted his crutches again. His hip hurt like hell and his head felt like it could explode at any moment. No, actually he was beginning to get the impression that he'd feel better if his head did explode. He didn't know how he had made it as far as he had, but one thing was certain, he wouldn't go back there… not with so many people staring at him as if he was some sort of weird experiment. "I'm not going back. There's not much they can do anyway right now except do physical therapy and I remember a lot of it from the last time I was in the hospital. Now, since we've got that settled, how about you go back and I'll go on my merry little way."

Joshua watched as the younger man carried on a little slower than before and worried that the kid was really going to hurt himself. "Ok kid, how's this. I take you to a motel, you get a room and I'll run interference with everyone else. You can do what you need to get back on your feet, the others will be happier knowing where you are, and I'll have a clear conscience about not dragging your ass back."

Lucas paused a moment before he slowly turning back towards Joshua. "Why?"

"Like I said, it'll make me feel better." Joshua said as he watched the wary look on Lucas' face return. He didn't get a chance to say much more when he noticed that whatever energy the kid had was fading fast. "You might as well say yes because if I have to haul your ass into the truck then you don't get your own room and I'll let everyone camp out on your bed."

Lucas thought about this for a moment knowing that pride was only going to get him so far before he passed out on the roadside. "So, whose dime are we using?" he asked, as he slowly made his way to the truck all too aware of how much the pain was building.

Smirking, Joshua shook his head as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and watched as the younger man carefully got into the cab of the truck. Making his call, he felt better about the whole situation and rushed to the driver's side – he had a promise to keep.

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The quiet motel belied the tension that was present in room 104, giving the area a peaceful look in the late night. The occupants in the room were ready to kick a hole in the wall to give them easier access to their neighbor, and would have if they didn't already know that it would cause the occupant of the other room to once again leave but this time not come back.

"Dad, we can't just let him stay in there by himself, what if he needs something or what if…"

John shook his head. He knew this was hard on Dean, hell it was hard on him, but Joshua had promised to keep an eye on Sammy for awhile until he could convince him that they weren't a threat. That didn't sit well with him either, but it was a decision he had to go with considering what was at stake. "Dean, give Joshua until morning before you go knocking down the door."

Dean stared at his dad before turning and hitting the wall. This whole situation was insane and now he had to stop doing what he had done naturally for sixteen years – watch over Sammy. Resting his head against the wall he tried hard not to let his nightmare invade his thoughts, but he couldn't help but see the last time he saw his little brother as he had been and it hurt to know that he couldn't stop what had happened. The feelings that he'd been trying to suppress were only building until he was sure he was going to explode. Knowing that there were some things his dad didn't get, he turned and walked out of the room, immediately knocking on the next door and waited until Joshua opened it.

"What's up kid?" Joshua asked tiredly. He had thought that the hardest part was to get the kid in the truck and in a motel room. Too bad he had been proven wrong since the kid had refused every attempt at assistance since they staggered into the room hours ago. "Look, this isn't the best time and…"

Pushing his way into the room, Dean ignored the older hunter and went straight to the bathroom where he heard the sound of vomiting echo in the small space. Taking a deep breath to try and calm his own nerves he pushed the door open slightly and noticed how dark the room was. 'Yeah, he's sick alright.' He thought as he reached over and grabbed a washcloth.

"Leave." Lucas demanded hoarsely from the area of the toilet.

"Damn it… how long have you been like that?" Dean asked as he took in his brother's appearance as well as his position on the floor in the light that spilled in from the other room. "You know, sitting like that can't be good for your hip." Seeing that he wasn't going to get a reaction, he decided to change tactics. Grabbing a towel he wet it then walked over to the microwave, setting the timer and waiting impatiently for it to finish. Once the compress was done he rushed back and laid it as well as he could to his brother's hip, watching carefully as he did so for any additional strain on Sammy's face.

Lucas hissed a moment until the wet heat permeated into his muscle and then he groaned in relief that the pain was beginning to dissipate. He hated being weak and worse yet he hated having an audience to see it. At the moment he was basically stuck on the floor since his hip had locked up a long while ago but that seemed to be best since his stomach had decided to rebel shortly before that time anyway. Feeling the pain in one part of his body slowly leave made him more aware of the pain in another part and groaned when his head once again made itself known. Irrationally, he felt the need to get rid of everyone around him, but before he had a chance to yell out, a cold cloth was laid around his head and rested on the back of his neck.

Dean watched the change in the man before him and smiled. Sure, the kid was tough, but even he had to succumb to the body's needs every once in awhile. Seeing his brother in pain was hard, but to know that he didn't even recognize his family was harder and something that he was going to try to break through. "Here, take these. It's a prescription for the pain." Ok, so he didn't say whose prescription, but who really cared – the kid was in agony and he was going to make sure it stopped. Bleary eyes looked at him and he couldn't help but wonder if his brother had even understood what he said.

"Then you'll leave?" Lucas had meant for his question to come out a bit more forceful and somewhere deep down was extremely ticked that it came out as a whisper, but even he knew that at the moment he wouldn't be able to do anything if anyone tried to haul him back to the hospital.

Shaking his head, Dean answered honestly. "Nope. You need to get in bed and you can't do that by yourself, so I'm volunteering my services. So, take these, then when you think you're ready to move, I'll help you to the bed."

Lucas knew there was something he should be worried about, but at the moment he couldn't hear his own thoughts over the pounding going on inside his head. Seeing the promise of relief in the hands of the other man, he instinctively nodded, not caring what the price would be later. It took a bit of effort to keep the pills down, but after what seemed to be an eternity, he could feel the pain lessen and his body relax. He was barely aware of the other person who walked in, and couldn't bring himself to care that he was being carried and placed on the bed. The darkness beckoned him and he was more than willing to go.

"Damn but he's a stubborn cuss." Joshua said as he looked down at the man he'd just helped carry. "What did you give him anyhow?"

Dean laughed and shook his head. "Obviously what he needed. How about you telling me what happened?"

"The kid needed to eat so I made him eat." Joshua said as he motioned towards the small table covered with take-out bags and hamburger wrappers.

"Wait… you fed him a _hamburger_? _Are you insane? _He hasn't eaten in a couple of days and you let him eat grease on a bun?" Dean asked incredulously. He was never one to follow doctor's orders, but one thing that always made sense to him was that you ease back into the heavy foods when you had a concussion or was out of commission for awhile. "Jeez, no wonder he's as sick as a dog."

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The tension was tantalizing and normally would have made the figure outside the motel feel gratified. However, the lesson had not been truly acknowledged, therefore not truly learned. Some people were harder to reach than others, but Pastor Simmons could not recall any others who were more stubborn than the eldest Winchester – the man truly did not know when to admit a mistake.

Turning towards the road, he passed by a young couple and pushed down the urge that came with their bickering. He had others in need of his services and was beginning to feel the weariness of staying with one assignment for so long. If he was one to wish, he would have wished a long time ago to have gone back in time and walked away from the gift he had bestowed the hunters – it was obviously wasted on them.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I hope you all like this one... I'll do my best to update soon. Take care!

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As morning beckoned over the horizon, John was more than a little anxious to go check on his boys. When Joshua had come into the room in the middle of the night, he'd thought he would get some information. Unfortunately all the hunter had said was that Dean had things under control and anything else could be dealt with later. Now it was later and no one else seemed to care that there hadn't been a sound in the next room in the last several hours and it was beginning to worry him. It wasn't like Dean to not let him know what was going on, especially for this long.

"Leave them be John." Joshua said quietly as he continued to drink his coffee and look over the morning paper. He hadn't even bothered to look up, but knew exactly what his friend had been thinking about doing. It was odd how normally he would have been the first one to stay out of John Winchester's way when it came to his boys, but something had changed and he wasn't the only one who'd noticed it. "If they need us, they'll call us." He stated plainly while trying to ignore the straight out lie. It would have to be life or death before Dean would alert anyone to anything he needed, and it looked as if Sam had followed in his brother's footsteps, even unknowingly.

Glaring around the room John noticed the same sentiments on both Jim and Bobby's faces while Caleb continued to feign sleep. It irked him that the one thing he wanted most to do at the moment he couldn't because of the reaction it would cause. Who knew it would be something like this that would make him want to take his youngest boy in his arms and never let go? That thought puzzled him a moment before he sat down hard. The last time he had felt like that was when Sammy was twelve and had been blown out of a tree by a careless hunter's shotgun. Thankfully Sammy hadn't been seriously injured by the buckshot since it was a glancing blow to the arm, but the fall fifteen feet had kept the kid unconscious for a couple of days causing those who cared about him the most to worry that something else was going on. He remembered that the day Sammy woke up was the last day he had actually prayed – begging God to bring his baby boy back to him. After that he had been so worried about feeling that helpless again he had stopped taking extra care of the boys' needs and made sure they knew how to survive.

"Damn it!" he blurted out before he stood and made his way to the door. He had no idea what he was going to do, but he had to figure out a way to fix this before it was really too late.

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Dean was thankfully for the couple hour's sleep he got, but more thankful that Sammy hadn't woke up while he was out for the count. Looking over the other man, he couldn't get past the stronger features in his face but still saw his little brother's scrawny attributes – the vulnerability within him. Sighing he rose from the chair and stretched a bit before he walked over to make a pot of coffee. Something told him that while Sammy would have taken the extra time to catalog his body's injuries and come around slowly, Lucas would deal with whatever needed to be dealt with and the sooner the better.

When the door opened quietly he turned only slightly, already knowing who it would be and wondering what took him so long. This whole ordeal was throwing everyone off their game, but it was most unsettling to watch his dad act as if he had no clue what to do.

"Hey, I'm about to get the coffee going." Dean said while turning his attention back to the task at hand. "So, what's the plan for the day?"

John took a deep breath before turning toward the younger man in the room. "Do you remember that hunt in Gainesboro?"

Puzzled, Dean turned and looked at his dad closely. Something was going on and he had no idea what to think about it. "Which one… the werewolf, or the banshee?"

Smirking, John nodded. Leave it to Dean to point out not just one but two hunts that had gotten so damn screwed up on his watch. "Banshee."

"Yeah, I remember it. Sammy was keeping lookout in the tree and everything would have been fine except some trigger happy yahoo shot first before asking questions."

John wondered why Dean didn't point out that the only reason why it was Sammy in the tree was because he was following orders. Who sends a twelve year old up a tree to keep an eye out for a vengeful banshee? "Yeah, that's the one. Do you think that's when things changed?"

Dean didn't pretend that he didn't know what his dad was talking about, there was no reason to. The truth was though that while his dad had been beating himself up over what happened, Sammy was too. The kid had been trying so hard to make their dad proud that for once he didn't ask questions, just shimmied up that tree as if he'd been doing it all his life and sat as still as possible in that cold valley. "Dad, you really don't want to talk about this. So how about we just…"

"No Dean, I do want to talk about this. I keep remembering his face after he woke up and found out what happened. I never understood what was behind it, and I guess I never wanted to dig that deep, but now… now I have to wonder – would things have stayed the same if I had asked him why he looked at me like that?"

Taking a deep breath Dean knew what his dad was hoping for, but under the circumstances, he couldn't give that to him. Too much had happened and the once invincible man that he used to see no longer existed. "Yeah Dad, it would have stayed the same… at least for a little while. He thought you blamed him, and yeah, I can see why he thought that. You walked in after meeting with the doctors and the only thing on your face was anger. He was twelve years old and having to face you after just waking up and not knowing what happened or even how long he was out for. Would it have killed you to let him know that he hadn't screwed up, that it was a damn fluke that the wind picked up just as that moron turned? It wasn't Sammy's fault that he became partially exposed and the guy was just wanting an excuse to shoot. Instead, what he got was a pissed off dad who began his normal rant of having to leave before anyone else got involved."

Hearing it from that perspective, John couldn't blame Sammy from turning away from him like he had. It had to be hard on him to think that no matter what he did, it would never be good enough – not even if he gave up his life trying. God, how could he have missed it? Nodding, he rubbed his face before looking at his oldest boy. "I was worried. The docs were talking about calling in CPS because they were claiming negligence, the Sheriff was asking questions about why were there in the first place, and all I could see was Sammy's pale face and him not moving. He could have died Dean, and that didn't set well with me. I know I didn't handle it like I should, but I never hated him – I was more worried for him."

"Yeah, well, you might have taken two seconds to tell him that instead of pointing out how much he wasn't measuring up." Dean said as he poured a cup of coffee. Pausing for a moment he finally turned around. "Why don't you and the others head out for breakfast? I've got things covered here and you can bring me back something. Oh, and something for the kid." Seeing his dad was almost out the door he called out. "Hey, don't forget the pie! They make the best pies in the morning!"

The door closed with a soft click and the muffled muttering of John could be heard before another door opened and closed. Dean held out the cup of coffee with a quirk of his eyebrows and grinned. "Up and at 'em sleepyhead."

"Yeah, yeah. So, mind telling me what that was all about?" Lucas asked groggily as he reached for the coffee.

"I have no clue man… honestly, no clue."

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John stayed quiet while everyone ate; ignoring the pointed looks he was receiving from his friends. He knew that he wasn't acting like himself, but at the moment he trying to put the pieces together. The night they lost Sammy was foremost on his mind and he wasn't sure exactly what significance it had, but he had the feeling that he was missing something… something vital. The scenes of that night played over and over in his head and the only thing that he could come up with was the witch's answer to their question. All this time he'd never paid attention, but now the last word that he heard from her mouth seemed to echo in his brain. Disaster… that's what she said, that's what he had dismissed as disjointed rambling. Now, with that one piece of information he replayed the scene from the beginning once again and now it made some sort of twisted sense.

"Bobby, do you know of any witches that try to teach someone a lesson by using wishes?" he asked as he looked around the table. Maybe someone could tell him exactly what it was that had happened that night.

Puzzled, Bobby exchanged looks between the other hunters before shaking his head. "Witches… no. I've heard of a few other things though that might do it. What's going through that head of yours John?"

"I'm not sure exactly Bobby, but something's been bothering me. Why go through all this? I mean if it was revenge then why keep him in a place that he was safe, especially without me knowing where he was. That night Sammy asked her why she did it. She said that if the wishes were pure then there wasn't a problem, but if it wasn't then it would become a disaster. I never pieced it together before because we didn't hear her answer until after Sammy was already down. She punishes people for their careless wishes."

Those at the table sat in silence while they digested this bit of information. Each man knew that it was a workable theory but the problem was trying to figure out what could have done this. Ordinary spell casting wouldn't be able to handle it, not with as much power it would take to pull it off. So whatever it was was able to tap into a lot of energy without leaving the normal leftover residue.

Caleb stood and looked at John before turning towards the others. "We need to get back to the boys, now!"


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Ok, I'm going to be honest here... Season 4 seems to be sucking the soul right out of me... not to mention some people who have taken things to extreme... so, if I don't update as often as I usually do, please forgive me, but it's sometimes really hard to do when the comaraderie that we've all shared seems to be in jeopardy. Be good to each other!

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Dean sat with Lucas while they drank coffee and watched the grainy picture on the motel room's TV, neither one speaking, neither wanting to delve any deeper than the surface appearance of two guys kicking back enjoying a cup of joe. The initial awkwardness of one man helping the other to do his normal morning routine had quickly faded as if it never happened, and the morning dose of pain medication had helped to relax both their nerves to the point neither thought anything could change their moment of contentment.

The quick knock at the door brought both men's attention away from the Bugs Bunny marathon and instantly both were on alert, knowing that the others should have still been at breakfast. Dean reached into the bedside nightstand and handed a spare Glock to Lucas before grasping his Desert Eagle and edged towards the door.

"Who is it?" he demanded as he stood to the side of the door, well aware that if someone was going to shoot, their first instinct would be to go through the door first.

"It's us kid." Bobby's muffled voice called out through the door.

Looking back towards his brother, Dean gave him a puzzled shrug before he checked the window while reaching for the lock. It didn't take long for the other men to flow into the room and just as quickly shut the door before securing it once again.

Lucas looked at the men who had rushed into the room and was about to come up with a smart assed comment when he felt as if someone had kicked him when the man named Caleb stared at him and demanded, "Just how well do you know Pastor Simmons?"

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Something was changing, he could sense it. He wasn't confident though that it was something for the better, but it was definitely something that was tipping the scales – only time would tell though in which direction it would go.

"Sir? Sir… would you like anything else?"

Looking up, Pastor Simmons smiled. "Oh my dear, I'm sorry… I'm lost in my own little world." Chuckling a little, he shook his head. "No, I'm fine, thank you."

Nodding, the waitress smiled uncertainly and walked away quickly, leaving the man to watch her amusingly before allowing his gaze to swing back towards the motel he knew the hunters were staying in.

"Ah yes, time will tell…"

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Not sure what was being asked of him, Lucas sat and stared at the man named Caleb. Funny how each man in the room seemed to know him, or who they thought he was, but he didn't know any of them. "Not sure what you mean. He's the Pastor at the local church, everyone in town knows him." He said warily, trying to figure out where they were really going with this.

Caleb sighed heavily. He expected that type of evasive answer from John or Dean, but he'd never would have thought he'd hear it coming from little Sammy… then again, the kid wasn't so little anymore. Looking around the room he knew that the others were confused, but he had to get this from the kid himself.

"Look Sa…Lucas, we need to know how well you really know the man, not how well everyone else knows him." Caleb said, hoping that his slip would have gone unnoticed.

Looking at each man in turn, Lucas put the Glock back in the drawer and sat up higher in the bed. "So, what was he like?"

Confused, John looked around before looking at his youngest son. "That's what we'd like to know. That's what we're…"

"No… what's this Sammy guy like. I keep hearing you say his name. You obviously think I'm him, so let's have it. What was he like?" Lucas asked as he crossed his arms and watched the men carefully. "Look, you want answers from me… I'm going to get something out of it. Now... What. Was. He. Like."

Jim was the first to respond, sensing that the others really didn't want to have this conversation. "He was an inquisitive child. Always asking questions, and wondering about the world. His brain was like a sponge and it often took all of us to keep him occupied." He said fondly, losing himself momentarily to the memories of years past.

"Kid couldn't put together a carburetor worth a damn, but if you needed an answer in a book then he was your guy." Bobby said quietly as he remembered the one and only time he'd let the kid try to help him work on a car.

Knowing that this was going to be hard, John was about to give his own answer when Joshua beat him to it. "The squirt spent most of his life following his big brother around. When he finally hit that last growth spurt though, Sammy spent more time tripping over his own feet than standing on them."

That last statement broke the last reserves on the hunters and they began to share stories of Sammy and how often they had to save his behind from one situation or another.

"Sounds like a pain in the ass to me." Lucas said as he listened to what each person said. When they looked at him in shock he shook his head. "Look, I get you cared for him. That's a given since he was your family, but still… the kid sounds like more trouble than he was worth."

"What the hell?" John bellowed as he marched his way across the room, intent to make the man in front of him pay for his slander of his boy.

"I'm just going off what you told me, but even if I'm wrong and let's say I am this Sammy kid, answer this… if you loved him so much, why did you abandon him to wander around in the middle of nowhere alone?"

The hunters stood and stared at the man sitting on the bed, stunned. None knew an answer for the question, at least not one that would probably appease him. Sure, they all had seen Sammy dead and buried, but now that they thought about it, did they really make sure that something else wasn't going on at the same time?

Lucas watched the other men a moment and decided they weren't going to give him any answers, which helped him decide what to do about the whole situation he'd found himself in. He hadn't asked them to show up and start to declare their undying devotion – in fact, since he'd met them he'd lost the only family he'd ever known, his home, and what sanity he thought he might have. No, it was best to get rid of these guys before they started to become dangerous and somehow get it in their heads that he was the one responsible for their grief. He had just managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed intent to use the crutches to get him as far away from them as possible, when he was stopped by the one voice he hadn't heard since the others had barged in.

"He was my best friend. Anytime I was pissed off at the world, he was there to remind me that not everyone was an asshole. Sure, he got himself into some sticky situations, but he helped all of us out of our fair share too… without holding it over our heads. His brain was scary, the way he could sort through information and give us an answer, but his heart was bigger than anyone else's I've ever met. He might whine about what we do, but he still did it even though he didn't agree with it, just so he could try and keep all of us safer. He was my little brother, my best friend, and I miss him. When he died in my arms, I thought – no, I tried to follow and I have the scars to prove it. He's not like us, and I never wanted him to be. If I could have him back, even for a day, that's what I'd tell him…, what I'd show him." Dean said sadly as he sat on the spare bed not bothering to look at Lucas until he couldn't take it anymore. "I'd tell him how much I love him."

John stood stock still and finally understood just how badly he'd messed up. All that time he'd spent complaining about how Sammy wasn't like Dean, when there wasn't anything wrong with his son being the intelligent, loyal, and loving person he was – it was what kept his boy going day to day in a life that broke weaker men. Looking at the others he could see that they knew he finally understood. Nodding, he was about to let Dean know that he was going to find the Pastor and set things right when another knock sounded on the door, causing the occupants in the room to pause and turn.

With nothing better to do, Joshua reached over and cautiously opened the door only wide enough to see who was on the other side. Surprised, he opened it further so the others could also see.

"Hello. I'm sure this is the most inconvenient of times, but it seems as if I'm needed to clear up a few things." Pastor Simmons said as he walked into the room, fully ignoring the guns instantly aimed at his head.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I hope you all like this chapter. Answers are coming slowly, but at least their coming. By the way... I don't agree with Lucas' assessment of Sammy, but trust me - he could have said worse. Don't believe me? Ask Sammygirl1963!

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The hunters watched the pastor, carefully assessing the situation – the man might look like he didn't want trouble, but they weren't taking any chances.

"Lucas, you look as if you have a question." Pastor Simmons said sympathetically.

Lucas sat back against the headboard and really wished he was anywhere but there; he really hated being the focus of someone's attention – well, unless it was a pretty girl's. Before he could respond though, Dean jumped up and stepped in front of him.

"Leave him out of this!" Dean demanded as he made sure his little brother was out of sight. "How about you tell us what your game is?"

Pastor Simmons sighed – this was always the hardest part. "I've given you all a gift, one that has taken longer for you to learn from than what I expected. Now though, you have seen what life is like with your family broken, what you had once but so willingly threw away."

John didn't like where this was going, but needed more information about what happened before. If he was going to get Sammy back, he needed to know everything. "Why did you do this?" he asked, "Why did you make us think he was dead?"

"It was the only way for you to fully understand what you were really asking for. To want someone to be like another means the death of who they really are. You wanted him to be like his brother – not for his own well being, but for your own convenience. His death was not something I desired and would have been easily reversible if you had opened your eyes when I had planned. When it became apparent that your grief kept you from seeing the truth, it became necessary to give him a new life."

"The rune burnt into the field?" Bobby asked, wondering if he was starting to piece it together.

Nodding, the pastor smiled slightly. "Yes, I used the symbol to bring him from his restful state into his new life. He was not in any pain during any part of the process, only confused when the appeared alone in the field."

"Right, no pain. What do you consider being hit by a car?" Dean demanded while still trying to decide what to think about all this.

"I do not control demons. When they realized what was happening, they acted of their own accord." The being posing as a man said solemnly. "I would not have let them get to him, but that decision was already made by another."

"Who?" Demanded John. His patience was growing shorter and he didn't know how much longer he could keep hold of it.

The man smiled, "You already know the answer John Winchester, it's time you faced what you have helped to create; a situation where your children are ill prepared to face." Seeing the disbelief on several of the others faces he motioned to Dean. "You tell him only what you feel he needs to know at the time. You kept him in the dark about what you have found out about your wife's death. You wanted unwavering obedience, willing to say it was for their safety while at the same time not teaching them what they needed to know to protect them fully all the while leaving them alone to their own devices."

The room was quiet for several moments as the words penetrated each person within it. Jim, Bobby, Caleb and Joshua had already known what the being said was true, and had at one time or another tried to convince their friend that he needed to let the boys in on everything he knew, with only anger as a returning result. John stood still with narrow eyes and wondered the best way to get rid of the creature before him; not just for what he had done to Sammy, but airing out his failures to the very ones he had been trying to protect. Dean stood silent as if the very foundation of his soul had been shaken; not willing to believe that as many times as he had defended his father to Sammy, that it had been his little brother who had been right all along. As Lucas sat and listened, not able to see past the man he knew as Dean, he couldn't help but solidify his plans to get away from these lunatics as soon as possible.

Joshua was itching to end this once and for all, but he knew they needed to get Sammy back before they wasted the… whatever it was in front of them. "So, you going to reverse it, or do we need to put you out of our misery and find a way ourselves?" he asked, his finger pressing harder against the trigger.

"Of course, if all are in agreement then it is simple to undo. You will have your Samuel back and…"

"Oh like hell!" Lucas shouted, causing the others in room to turn to him in surprise. He thought it was actually funny since they were arguing about him, but had obviously forgotten he was in the room. "Look, you do what you have to, to make yourselves feel better, but leave me out of it."

Puzzled, the hunters looked at each other before turning their attention back to the very person they had been doing all this for. Not understanding the problem, they were even more astounded when Lucas continued.

"You know, all I've heard from you about this Sammy guy is how much he annoyed you by being some pain in the ass bookworm who had to be right all the damn time and didn't like being dragged all over the damn place and now you want to turn me into the little douche bag? Get out – all of you." Lucas said with a deadly calm that froze the hunters until he picked up the gun out of the drawer once again and took the safety off. "Now."

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The coffee was hot and fresh, but no one paid attention to it. The only thing on their minds was how much the situation had gone from a simple recovery of a loved one to completely fubared in no time. Lucas' face as he demanded everyone to leave was something that would haunt each of them until they died; that wasn't the face of Sammy; that was a face of a stranger – one they didn't know if they wanted to get to know.

John sat staring at his coffee, refusing to look at his eldest son. He had done so many things wrong and the weight of that knowledge sat heavily upon him and as sadistic as it sounded, he felt good for allowing himself to wallow in his self pity and recriminations. The words that had been uttered inside that room still echoed inside his brain and he didn't dare to try and stop them, feeling as if he deserved to hear their echoes as additional punishment for putting both his boys through this. Sighing, he tried to find a way to make it right, but all he could think of was sight of his baby boy holding a gun to all of them and demanding them out of his room as well as his life.

"Alright, I've had it. All of you need to make yourselves scarce – I'll call you when we get someplace safe and ready to deal with… whatever the hell we're dealing with." Dean said as he stood up from the table and tossed a couple of dollars on the table. Looking at each of his father's friends, the very men who had helped to keep him alive after his world fell apart, he reiterated, "I don't want to see you, hear you, hell… I don't want to smell you." Looking at his dad he smirked, "Congratulations Dad. You wanted another bad ass son to follow in your footsteps; looks like you've got him, now I have to deal with it – as usual. I mean it – leave."

As the men stared at Dean's retreating back, they all knew that during a previous life, he was the only one who could get through to his brother. Now though, they wondered if they were adding fuel to the fire.

"John, maybe it's time to level with the boys. You know that we've always thought you keeping them in the dark was the wrong way to go, but now – damn it, now things are different and unless you want to lose them both…" Jim said sadly as his gaze went from the young man walking towards the motel to his friend.

It wasn't as if he hadn't been thinking the same thing, it was just hard to swallow his pride when it was someone else pointing out the exact thing he was thinking himself. He couldn't look at the motel, knowing that whatever was about to happen wasn't going to involve him. Instead he stood and put enough money on the table to cover their tab. "We need to go. Bobby, I'll ride with you. Dean and… Lucas will need a car." Ignoring the shock from his friends, he walked towards the door, hoping that he was actually doing something right out of this whole screwed up situation.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Hey everyone... sorry for the wait. I hope you like this one, no action but getting into the mind of our boys at this one moment in time. Uh... if you don't like it, then blame the headache making it's way through my cranial veins... or not, your choice. Take care!

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The knock on the door wasn't a surprise, that's why he had left the door slightly open after everyone left – he just couldn't see Dean walking away like that.

"Come in." Lucas called out; already knowing who it was, not really prepared though for the feeling of _rightness_ now that the other man was there. "So, you here to drag me back by my hair, or are the others just going to wait until I fall asleep before they toss me in the car and drive?" he asked, not sure why the thought of Dean being involved in either scenario made him feel sour.

Dean walked in and saw that his brother, yes… his _brother_ not some imposter, sitting at the table watching him as if he expected some sort of betrayal. Taking a deep breath, he walked further into the room and shut the door while shaking his head. "Nope… just you and me on the road for awhile. I figure if you're able to tell five hunters to get out of his room, you're able to tell me when we need to stop and rest for awhile."

Lucas stared at Dean for a little while before he asked, "So, really, why do you think I'm your little brother?"

Smirking, Dean shook his head while gathering what little items there were and answered, "Because you both are a pain in my ass."

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"Why are we here, again?" Caleb asked; his surly tone showing just how much he hated sitting and doing nothing.

Taking another swig of coffee, Jim shook his head. "John knows that Dean will come this way, he just wants to make sure the boys aren't followed."

"You mean other than by us." Joshua stated plainly, knowing the idea of the plan, but not liking it one bit. He looked to the side and saw Bobby and John in the truck watching the road from their position behind the brush in hopes of not being detected by a very adamant Dean. Amazing how fast things can change.

None of them really wanted to sit there and watch the brothers drive off away from them, but they also knew that if there was any chance of convincing Lucas that he was Sammy, then they needed to back off and let Dean handle it. The sound of the rumbling engine brought everyone's attention to the road once again and as the black car sped up; the men could hear AC/DC's Highway to Hell blasting from the stereo, the occupants of the car a blur as they passed by.

"Well Johnny, now what?" Bobby asked, knowing full well what he wanted to do but also knew that he'd follow the other man's lead.

John shook his head and looked at his longtime friend. "You know Singer; right now I don't have a clue."

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Dean drove until he noticed Lucas' grimace, then he found a diner at the side of the road and pulled off. Turning off the engine he sighed before he looked at his brother.

"Look, I get that you want to play the tough guy here… really, I do, but you have to deal with the pain sometime man. So, how about we get out, stretch our legs and get something to eat. If you feel better, we get going down the road… if not, we find a place to hole up and you to stretch out." Dean said, not wanting to make it sound like a request, just a suggestion to point in the right direction.

Looking at the man next to him, Lucas had to agree – his hip was hurting, and he couldn't seem to get comfortable, it was almost as if his body didn't fit right. "Yeah, alright. But if you try to tuck me in…"

Dean's bark of laughter rang out throughout the car, easing the tension that had been building. "Dude, if I try to tuck you in, feel free to knock me out with one of those crutches of yours."

With the agreement made, both Dean and Lucas made their way to the door, careful of Lucas' need for extra room. Managing to get fully inside without any mishaps, they looked around and hesitated only a moment before Dean pointed out a booth that looked comfortable enough for the time they would be there.

Lucas hated being dependent on anyone, it was something that he appreciated with Maude – she was there to help, but she'd be damned if she'd coddle. Thinking about the old woman sent a stabbing pain through his chest as the memories of her and what they shared flashed through his mind. Not too many in town could understand why she had taken him in, much less was so protective of him – going as far as barring anyone in the café if they so much as looked at him wrong. Honestly though, he still didn't understand it himself, but knew he missed her and wished she was still there with him.

As Dean looked over the worn menu, he noticed how quiet the man in front of him had become. It had never been a good sign when Sammy would clam up, a sure indicator that a storm of some sort was brewing, but this was Lucas… someone with a whole other set of signals and triggers to learn. Sighing, he pushed his menu away and waited for the waitress to come over.

"Uh, look… I don't know how you were planning on doing this, but I got some money, so… do we split everything, alternate…what?" Lucas asked, suddenly aware of the precarious position he could have just put himself in. He saw Dean smirk a moment before he stopped and actually thought a moment. It was something that he wasn't sure exactly what it meant, but he had a feeling that if he had all his memories intact then he'd be surprised by the response he got.

"You know, I hadn't thought about that. Tell you what, you cover the food when we stop, I cover gas, the room, and whatever snacks we grab along the way. Deal?" Dean asked, knowing that this agreement was only temporary; as soon as Sammy was back, they'd have to renegotiate everything – a price he'd be more than willing to pay to be a big brother again.

Nodding, Lucas agreed readily. Even though they hadn't talked about it, he got the impression that whatever money the Winchesters had, it didn't come from any sort of nine to five job, not that he had any room to talk – most of his money came from a variety of ways, some that Maude didn't approve of one bit. He saw the acceptance in the other man's eyes though, a strange happiness that had him almost curious as to why.

"Hello, I'm Trisha and I'll be your waitress today. How are you both doing?" the waitress asked as she appeared at their table, order pad and pen at the ready. She had been watching the two men from across the room and could tell they weren't together, at least not in _that_ way, so now she just needed to decide which one she liked more.

Dean looked up at the redhead and smiled brightly. "Hello Trisha! I was just telling my brother here how much I'd love one of those deluxe burgers, home fries, and some of that fine apple pie sitting over there under the glass." He had no idea why he suddenly had the urge to pick up where he left off six years ago, but he'd be damned if he was going to waste this opportunity. Ok, so he hadn't been celibate, but he hadn't been the aggressor in quite awhile either, and he was actually enjoying it.

Trisha smiled as she took Dean's order, already liking this one. Looking at the other man she couldn't wait to hear his voice.

"You know, that sounds good… I'll take that, except for the pie. I like my dessert a little…" Lucas paused as he reached over and barely touched Trisha's leg, watching as her eyes got wider by the moment. "…more _personal_ than that." Hearing Dean choke on his coffee, he smiled ruefully. "Unfortunately, I just had surgery on my hip, so it looks like I'll have to settle for the pie as well."

Nodding, Trisha stammered as she turned and rushed towards the kitchen, leaving the brothers to watch her back retreat.

"What the hell man!" Dean hissed. "She was so into me… what did you have to do that for?" he practically whined. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that Lucas had done it on purpose – although, he really didn't know him that well, so…

"Relax man, didn't you see the ring?" Lucas asked as he poured more sugar in his coffee cup. Seeing Dean's confused look he shook his head. "Around her neck, on a chain… it's there, trust me. Whoever it is already laid claim to her; my guess is that either their separated, which you don't want to deal with, or she's in mourning for him, which you _really_ don't want to get involved in."

Dean sat back and wondered just how the hell his brother knew that, and then it hit him – his little brother wouldn't have known, but this newer version of him sure would. _Well damn!_

Finally finding a position that took some of the pressure off his hip, Lucas looked at Dean and saw the expression on the older man's face. Something told him a realization had been made and it wasn't a pleasant one.

"So, you figured it out yet?" he asked. Seeing the question in Dean's eyes he elaborated, "That I'm not Sammy, I'm Lucas. Your brother was probably one that would complain about going to a bar with a fake ID, worry too much about what other people thought, fumble around if a hottie like Trisha talked to him, and probably gave you a hard time if you 'talked' to her back. I'm not like that. Maude would get upset when I'd disappear with some of the guys on a Saturday night and fight at the neighboring Grange, I never gave a rat's ass about what people thought about me unless it hurt her, and as far as the ladies goes – hell, don't take my word for it… if you want some time with Red, go for it; just drop me off someplace, if you're not back in a couple hours, I know to find another ride – no biggie."

Dean stared in shock, but before he could actually respond, Trisha walked up with their order. After placing their plates in front of them, she looked at each of them before placing a piece of paper in the middle. "That's my number, maybe next time dessert can be on me."

Both Lucas and Dean looked at the number then the retreating waitress before looking at each other, "Nah!" they silently agreed – too complicated.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: So sorry for the wait... this one took longer than I expected to piece together, I'm just hoping you like it. A huge THANK YOU to Sammygirl1963 who has been ever so patient in looking over my work... believe me when I say, my stories benefit alot from her!

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John sat and stared out the window, allowing the others to talk amongst themselves – effectively ignoring him. He hated how things had turned out, but until Lucas started to trust them, there wasn't really anything he could do to put his torn family back together. Worse yet, if he was honest with himself, nothing would actually change; Dean and Sammy would hunt or do research while he took off on his own more and more often. It was a harsh truth, but one he needed to face if he had any hope of figuring out what to do.

The memories of times past when he'd completely blown some minute thing out of proportion had been playing in his head unhindered, showing him exactly how many times he'd failed as a parent and exactly why his boy thought he wasn't valued. It wasn't something he had wanted to see, much less admit to, but it was the truth. While he thought he was keeping his sons safe by leaving them alone taking care of each other, by allowing Dean the role of primary caregiver to his brother, he was actually turning his back on both while he continued on his own crusade with little or no results.

Rubbing the grit from his eyes made him suddenly aware of the quiet in the room. Turning, he saw that he was now alone and couldn't figure out where the others had gone.

"They went to get food and information, John. Don't worry though, they'll be back soon."

Startled, John turned around and stared openly at the man before him. "What… how the hell?" he asked, practically choking on the words as the implications took hold and prevented him from coming up with something from his normal list of sarcastic wit.

Pastor Simmons smiled slightly and held out a hand to show he wasn't there to harm anyone. "John, I came to tell you that I understand. You're worried and you blame yourself for what has happened. Although it took you longer than I thought, I believe you have finally pieced it together."

Nodding, John sat down and answered sadly, "Yeah, I had everything I needed and I basically tossed it away. Unfortunately if I had it to all over again, I don't know if anything would be different."

"Really? Even after knowing what you know now?" Pastor Simmons laughed before sitting across from the hunter. "I think that's the smartest thing you've said in quite awhile." Seeing John's surprise, the entity smiled wanly and shook his head. "This wasn't to show you how different you should have been, but to show you what you had and didn't appreciate. You know that you would have still hunted the supernatural like a maniac, but do you really think that you would have allowed the rift between you and Sam form like before? Of course not… not intentionally at least. You would have done everything you could to try and find common ground with him."

"That's what I should have done, to make all of this never happen?" John asked, sure he had stumbled across something very important, and possibly to his advantage if he could just…

"No. I'm saying that your paths would have led different directions, but for different reasons and with different results. I am not someone to be trifled with John Winchester. I have been around for quite awhile and know the frailty of humanity, but even gods and demigods get tiresome of seeing the same results happening day after day."

Looking at the person in front of him, John had a sudden realization and he wasn't sure what to do with it. "You're a… god?"

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It was good to kick back and relax for a bit, not that Dean was going to admit that to anybody, but it was still the truth. They decided to take a full day to rest up before hitting the road after breakfast in the morning, and now were holed up in a Comfort Inn that boasted of a hot tub somewhere on the property. Dean was pretty sure that that was the only reason why Lucas had insisted on stopping at all. Sure, the kid could play it tough, but even he needed to slow down to heal every now and again.

"So, you ready to hit the hot tub?" Dean asked as he unpacked a change of clothes and his shaving kit, assessing his reflection in the room's mirror - although he didn't shave every day, he drew a line at growing an actual beard like his dad. Not hearing a response, he turned his attention towards his brother, worry beginning to clutch at his gut.

Lucas continued to stretch out on the bed, content for the moment to be stationery. He was used to being the one in the driver's seat not sitting as a passenger, and it was more tiring than anything else he could think of. Even the physical therapy he had gone through before had allowed breaks in the monotony, time to stretch and get refocused. Taking a deep breath, he tried not to sound impatient, but he wanted to take a few more minutes before even thinking what the next step would be. However, he could tell that Dean was waiting for an answer and as he turned his head to look at the other man he saw worry lining his face.

"Not yet, but I'll get there." Lucas said instead of the biting remark that itched on his tongue. He saw the disappointment in Dean's eyes, but refused to ask about it. If Dean wanted to make something out of nothing, then what business was it of his?

Nodding, Dean searched Lucas' face before deciding to leave the subject alone. After all, if the kid wanted to be a stubborn ass, then what business was it of his? _I'm_ _his brother, damn it, that's what!_ Drawing on the long worn patience he still had, he forced himself to nod and make his way into the bathroom to take a shower, hoping that by the time he got out whatever was going on in his brother's head would have worked its way out.

Hearing the shower, Lucas sighed and pressed himself further into the pillow he was lying against. He knew he wasn't the only one feeling awkward about this whole situation, but he was really starting to wonder what he had been thinking when he agreed to go with Dean in the first place. No, he knew what he was thinking – he was thinking he could get rid of everyone staring at him constantly while trying to figure out what Dean really meant to him. If he was this Sammy kid, then it would answer a lot of questions, as well as cause a lot of problems. Coming to a decision, he maneuvered himself off the bed and grabbed his crutches. He needed to get out for awhile – without being constantly watched.

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"No, not in the sense you're talking about… closer to a demigod if you really needed to classify me, but I'd prefer if you didn't." Pastor Simmons said, amused at the man's assumption. Humans always wanted things neatly categorized, never allowing themselves to see a broader aspect. "You call me a trickster, but I have been alive for quite awhile and during my prime I was revered. Those times have past and I have learned to… _adapt_ to my surroundings. You'd be surprised how many people go through life disappointed because it isn't turning out the way they expected."

John stared at the man before him and pondered what he heard. "So, you're not a man of the cloth… just who are you?"

Pastor Simmons laughed as he stood. "I've always liked the name Alex. It reminds me of a great man I once knew – arrogant, but definitely someone who knew what he wanted."

Footsteps echoed along the outside walls, bringing John out of his contemplation and back to the subject at hand. When the door unlocked, he looked around for the demigod, but only found an empty room. Taking a deep breath, he turned back towards the door as it opened to allow the other hunters inside.

"I'm going to see my boys." John stated plainly as he headed towards the door. "So, whose truck am I borrowing?"

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Normally Dean wouldn't have taken so long in the shower; he was the type of guy that wanted in and out in the least amount of time, hassle and fuss. Today though he allowed the hot water to work the kinks out of his neck and back, taking the extra time to gather his thoughts and push down the welling emotions that threatened to break free.

'Damn it kid, why can't you just admit you're Sammy and deal with it?' he thought sadly. He knew that Sammy was having a rough time too, but that thought didn't help at the moment – in fact, it made him feel worse; he'd give anything to keep his little brother safe from all this.

Dean felt the tub vibrate underneath him as if someone had just allowed a door to swing shut. It wouldn't have caused warning bells to sound in his head if it was any ordinary day, but that was the problem – he wasn't having ordinary days anymore, and the thought that his brother was possibly out there on his own sent cold shockwaves through his body and spurred him to jump out of his shower and into his discarded clothes before running into the empty room.

"Damn it!" he shouted as he reached into his duffle and grabbed his gun, putting it in his waist band before racing out the door nearly running into the very person he was heading out to find. "Sammy, damn it…"

The rest of his tirade was halted when he saw what his brother was staring at, and it was a tossup of whether he was just surprised or completely pissed off about it.

"You call him?" Lucas asked quietly while adjusting himself on his crutches. He hadn't needed to actually see Dean to know he was next to him, it was a strong feeling he had anytime they were anywhere near each other. He didn't understand it, but he did know that not everyone had it – what annoyed him though was how he was beginning to accept it.

Feeling as if someone had just kicked the Impala, Dean shook his head, "Nope. I said I wouldn't until we figured out what we were going to do and I meant it."

Lucas nodded and watched as the truck stopped in front of them before John and Bobby both got out of the vehicle and stopped in front of them.

"Boys," John began, clearing his throat before he continued, "I know I said I wouldn't follow, but I'm hoping you'll hear me out. Let's go inside."

Dean stood staring at the man he'd been angry with ever since they lost Sammy in the first place. No one moved, no one spoke, and to an outsider it could easily look like a bizarre face off with one man at a disadvantage with his crutches while two others looked tired enough to fall flat on their faces in the middle of the parking lot. Having enough of being a spectacle, Dean strode forward until he was in front of his brother.

"You couldn't give us a couple of days, a week tops? You had to show up because why? Let me guess, you've had a revelation… well good for you! How about you go deal with it your way and we can deal with it ours." Dean was mad. Not just because his dad hadn't listened to him, but because he had really believed the man would.

"_You_ go inside - _I've_ got someplace else to be." Lucas said as he began his trek along the sidewalk, ignoring the protests coming from John.

Feeling torn between making things right with his boys and the desire to keep his dignity intact, John paused only long enough to remember what the trickster had said. 'Great… now I'm thinking about a dead guy named Alex who knew what he wanted… how the hell is that supposed to help me right now?' he thought sarcastically to himself while trying to judge Dean's mood.

Staring at his dad, Dean focused on all the things that he should have said so many years ago, how many times he bit his tongue or just walked away when all he really wanted to do was knock some sense into the man. As he felt that familiar anger begin to burn once again it suddenly was tamped out when Sammy's face jumped in front of every other thought. His little brother had taken everything life had tossed at him and still gave forgiveness in his last breath. Sighing, he turned away and followed Lucas, motioned towards the open room.

"There's some snacks and sodas in the fridge... just… stay there." He said, not bothering to see if anyone was going to do what he asked. At the moment he had other things to deal with.

It didn't take long before Dean heard voices and paused to listen, smirking at the antics of man he heard in the hot tub.

"…no, really. I was just walking along the highway when this priest comes out of nowhere and hits me with his car."

"Oh… my… _God_! That is so like… un-bel-_ievable_!"

Lucas laughed at the girl who was sitting next to him. She and her friends had been more than a little hospitable when they saw him make his way towards them and before he knew it they had already made room for him, jeans and all, and started to ask what happened to make him have to use crutches for legs.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too when I woke up in the hospital with my hip stapled back together." He laughed at their horrified expressions and wondered how in the world there were still naïve people out in the world surviving. "Don't worry, I have a waterproof bandage on it right now… can't get too waterlogged, my brother would have a fit, you know?"

Giggling echoed through the small alcove until finally dying down to allow the sound of people leaving the water to take its place. When it was quiet again Dean walked into view and watched with admiration the bikini clad babes that were walking towards the small restaurant located on the property. Taking another moment to watch them as they entered the establishment, Dean was ready to follow when he heard Lucas snicker behind him.

"Yeah yeah… laugh it up crutch boy." Dean said as he pulled off his shirt, placing it and his gun on the concrete close by as he sat down on the ledge next to Lucas. "Just remember, I can outrun you and get to those babes before you knew what you were missing."

"Nah… all I'd have to do is call out and they'd trip over themselves to help." Lucas snickered; knowing that he had Dean beat. They sat in silence for awhile, neither one mentioning the others state of overdress as the bubbles played with their clothes. "I remember being someone else."

Startled, Dean turned and stared a moment before his vocal chords finally began to work again, giving a very distinctive, "What?"

Lucas nodded slightly before taking a deep breath. "Nothing major really, just the feeling of not being important enough – that I was lacking in some way. I don't know, it doesn't really make sense but when I woke up in the hospital with no one around who knew anything about me, it kind of hit me that maybe what I was feeling was the reason I was there… that somehow no matter how hard I tried it hadn't been good enough. It took awhile to come to the decision that it didn't matter anymore, that I was starting over and no matter what happened I only had to be good enough for me, and honestly… I don't want to give anyone that power over me again."

Dean sat back and let out a long deep breath, trying to process what he'd heard with what he knew. Finally, he nodded slowly before turning towards Lucas. "Yeah, well… I won't make excuses, I've done that for too long, but Dad… he… he's an ass. There, I said it, ok? For too long he expected you to jump in with both feet and follow some sort of timetable that only he knew about. I don't know how many times you two butted heads, too many that's for _damn_ sure, but… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't stand up to him more for you, I'm sorry you thought you had to protect me one last time, I'm so damn _sorry_ that you had to wake up alone in a strange place with strange people and no one around who gave a damn to help you put the pieces back together. I'm not saying we would have lived happily ever after if none of this had happened, I'm just saying that I really wish that we hadn't lost so much time not being there for each other, not being brothers."

The sounds of the hot tub filled the void of conversation, neither man willing to say anything else; content in closing the book on the whole ordeal until finally the latest subject at hand was brought up.

"So… what do we do now?"


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Sorry about it not being as long as usual... I just hope you like it anyway. Take care!!!

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"_So… what do we do now?"_ That had been the question that had seemed not to have an immediate answer until finally someone had the brilliant idea of going for a beer. It should have been a simple stroll to the nearest bar, down a couple of brewskis before heading back and dealing with the room full of hunters that were surely already trying to plan an argument why they all should stay together. Sure, that's what should have happened…except for one thing – they were Winchesters and Winchesters had the worst damn luck on the planet.

It had begun simple and laid back enough. Two guys, brothers really, working on their third beer while trying to best each other at darts all the while flirting with the cute waitress who reminded Dean of a fairy he'd once ran into; tiny with a constant smile. So it really was a surprise when all hell broke loose and they found themselves smack dab in the middle of a bar room brawl doing their damnedest not to get the short end of the situation. Only one problem stood between them and their goal; yeah, their Winchesters.

Lucas ducked another guy's fist while trying his best not to knock Dean over at the same time. Somehow he'd known what was about to happen but hadn't warned the man at his back soon enough and now they were surrounded by a bunch of yahoos who were determined to make them pay for paying too much attention to Sarah who just happened to be the big guy's baby sister – yeah, who'd figure!

"Uh Dean… how about you get out of here and I'll hold them off as long as I can?" he asked as he swung his last remaining crutch at a couple of guys determined to open his skull with broken bottles.

Laughing, Dean wondered just what planet his brother thought he was from if he really thought he'd be able to hold off a bar room full of people by himself… not to mention the thought that he'd even leave his Sammy to fend for himself, nope… not going there.

"Sorry kiddo… you're not getting all the fun!" he yelled over the commotion, mainly little Sarah screaming for her brother to stop before she called their mother. It would have been funny if they weren't outnumbered close to six to one. As it was all Dean could hope for was that they'd be able to stagger back to the motel room without too much damage being done.

The sound of a gunshot didn't do too much, but it was the second one shattering several glasses hanging over the bar that caused all the occupants to freeze in their spots and look over at a rather perturbed looking Sheriff.

"DADDY!" Sarah screamed as she rushed towards his side.

Hearing that from the barmaid, both Dean and Lucas groaned and knew their day had just gone down the crapper.

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The two jail cells were full, the air conditioning wasn't working and the last thing that Dean had wanted to do was make that phone call. But seeing as all their resources were at the moment tied up in one spot, it didn't make sense to try to beat around the bush. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head and looked at the man lying on the bed, hoping that more damage hadn't been done during the scuffle.

"Look man, I just want to uh… yeah… look, it's just she's my little sister you know? And you can never be too careful anymore, you know?"

Dean looked over and wondered what the hell he'd done in his past lives to get stuck in the same damn cell with the big bruiser who had started this whole damn mess to begin with. The one good thing about it though was that when the guy found out that Lucas was really hurt and it wasn't some ploy to get in little Sarah's pants, the guy had made sure the youngest Winchester had full use of the one bed in the cell. Nodding, Dean leaned back against the bunk and murmured, "Yeah, I get it, no matter how old they get, their always the baby."

Before the other man had a chance to answer, a shadow fell upon them making the occupants of both cells look up.

"Bail's taken care of Dean, grab your brother and let's go." John said brusquely before turning around and walking back the way he came, letting the deputy unlock the door. He wasn't fooling himself; he knew Dean only called because he didn't see another option, that wasn't what tore him apart. It was the knowledge that his boys had been that badly outnumbered and he hadn't been there to help. 'Damn it, there's got to be a way to fix this.'

As Dean helped Lucas off the bunk and through the cell door he wondered if he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of the day besides allowing his little brother to get mixed into a brawl.

"Knock it off. I was flirting just as much as you were." Lucas said softly, seriously wishing he hadn't lost his crutches and had another dose of pain meds in him, with or without the alcohol.

'Yep, this is turning out to be a real crappy day.' Dean thought as he heard just how tired Lucas was as they slowly hobbled towards the main entrance. It was what came out of his brother's mouth next that almost made him drop him.

"Think Dad's going to stay pissed?"

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Alex couldn't help himself, he had to keep an eye on what was going on and if anything had changed, that was his job after all… or at least what he kept telling himself. If he were completely honest though he would have admitted that there was something about this wayward family that fascinated him – almost like a train wreck.

As he continued to watch unnoticed, he couldn't help but wonder about this new person that the youngest of the men was becoming, and if his family would accept him in spite of it – only time would tell, but time had a funny way of making itself scarce at the most inopportune times.

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Bobby, Jim, Caleb and Joshua were waiting outside in the parking lot when the Impala pulled up. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Joshua was pulling open the driver's door and hauling John out while Caleb was gathering things out of the cab of Bobby's truck and heading towards the backseat, ignoring John's protests and questions.

Dean was shocked, but wasn't about to go anywhere without his brother, the kid was pale and drawn as it was and he had a feeling that if he left the car then the tension there would just get worse.

"Ok kid, we've done it your way, now you're doing it ours." Caleb said as he settled half in and half out the backseat while trying to make a pallet to allow the young man in front of him to lie back and hopefully be reasonably comfortable for the journey ahead. "Jim got a Root Beer from the soda machine so you can take your medicine and even added one for you… do us all a favor and take it."

Shocked, Dean watched his long time friend order his little brother around like he did it every day… then he remembered, there for awhile, he did!

"Caleb, you ready?" Jim asked as he situated himself in the front seat while handing Lucas a can of soda and a hand full of pills. "I know you don't want t rely on anyone, but right now I think it would be best if you let us handle this situation. We're all going to Bobby's since its closer and we're hoping you'll sleep the whole way; it'll give you some relief. Now before anyone starts to protest, this isn't up for discussion… we're all family here and it's about time you two start remembering it. Now… drink up young man and then lay back, Caleb will help you get situated before he starts to drive. No Dean… you are not driving, there's no telling where you two would be off two."

John stood and argued with Josh and Bobby until he heard the Impala's engine come to life and then it was like a switch had been flipped and he was completely silent at first, then the switch flipped once more.

"Damn it! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he bellowed as he started after the car that currently housed his boys. "You can't do this!"

"Actually John, we can. You've always trusted us with your boys, so what's so damn different now?" Joshua asked while pulling John back around towards him. "Ever since Sammy died you've acted like it's only been you and Dean who's suffered. Well guess what… you aren't! Those boys are like our own and we're not going to watch as you screw this up too. Now get your idiotic ass in the truck and let's go, just because we're hoping the kid'll sleep the whole way doesn't mean they need to be left on their own too long."

Stunned, John stood there and watched the agreement in the other faces. Slowly he began to smile. "Well Josh, I have to admit… I didn't know you cared."

Rolling his eyes and slapping his friend slightly upside the head Joshua smirked, "Don't get so cocky smartass, the boys are family… you're just something we have to put up with to see them."

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Dean wasn't sure if he was allowed to speak or not so he stayed quiet and watched Lucas blink owlishly at him from the backseat. It seemed weird to be back in this position, to being the protector again after so many years, but it was a feeling he was more than happy with. After looking over the makeshift bed Caleb had made, he had to wonder once again just how in the world they'd gotten so damn lucky.

"What did Jim give him?" he asked quietly, not wanting to startle the younger man in the back any more than necessary. Both he and Caleb had been sure the kid would have conked out by now, but it looked like stubborn Sammy was making an appearance.

Caleb grinned and looked through the rear view mirror to the figure in the back before returning his attention towards the road. "Don't worry he called a doctor friend of his to make sure there wouldn't be any reactions. Mainly it's a heavy duty sleep aid; the kid needs all the help he can get."

Nodding, Dean thought about that and had to agree, the kid did need sleep.

"You're not curious about what just happened?" Caleb asked, slightly shocked that Dean hadn't torn into him for the way they had handled the situation.

Shaking his head, Dean continued to watch the lone occupant in the backseat and smiled when he saw that the medicines had finally taken effect. "Nah… I figure I got my brother with me, that's all I need to know." He said as he leaned back and listened to Back in Black as it played softly from the stereo, content for once with his life.


	15. Chapter 15

Dean leaned his head back and wondered, not for the first time in his life, how the hell their life could suck so damn badly. It was bad enough that the Impala blew a tire, but to puncture the sidewall of another while pulling to the side of the road was just too much. Add to it that the nearest town was over an hour away was problematic, but what really made him want to pull his lower lip over his head and beat it against a wall was the fact that they had somehow lost the others and his little brother was waking up and in obvious pain.

'Damn it,' he thought, 'not now Sammy… stay asleep.'

Apparently though heaven wasn't answering prayers in a positive manner today, as Lucas groaned while trying to stretch his leg out as much as the Impala would allow. Turning, Dean worried about the obviousness of his brother's discomfort; knowing that if he was actually being vocal about it, then it had to be bad.

"Hey kiddo, relax a bit… Caleb will be back with some good news and we'll hole up somewhere for a bit until the others catch up to us." Dean soothed, praying that it would be enough to calm the younger man. Looking around he tried to spot Caleb and realized that the other man had to go further than expected to get a decent signal – some days it didn't pay having regular cellular service… too bad satellite phones were way out of a hunter's price range. "Go back to sleep Sammy… you're safe here."

"M'kay, Dean." Lucas barely breathed out before settling into sleep once more.

Surprised, Dean looked at his brother and shook his head. He didn't know if the kid knew exactly what he said, more precisely _how_ he said it, but at the moment he couldn't worry about that, he had more important things to worry about; like where the hell his dad and the others were and what the hell he was going to do if Sammy actually woke up in pain.

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John could not believe his luck. Seriously. If it got any worse he'd have to start finding out what he did in his past lives to tick off the fates this badly. All he wanted was to be with his boys, that's all… was that really too much to ask?

"Well John, the good news is the charges are going to be dropped," Joshua said heavily. "The bad news is it could be as late as tomorrow before all the paperwork is processed."

Groaning, John leaned his head against the bars and wondered yet again what he'd done to deserve this. "Ok, then go. Get to the boys and make sure they're alright, I'll catch up later."

Joshua shook his head and wondered just what he'd done in a past life to deserve this. "Look, Jim's talking to the Sheriff right now. We're all hoping that he'll let you out sooner if you apologize to his deputy." Seeing his friend's disbelief he knew he had to press the issue. "Yes John, apologize. He was just doing his job, you're the one who took it a step further and made it personal."

"Bastard asked if I was in a hurry to see my lover – insinuated my boys were…"

Joshua laughed at his friend's disgust, even if he did agree wholeheartedly. "Look man, I didn't say you had to mean it. Just put on that game face and do what needs to be done, then we all can be back on the road doing what we're supposed to be doing… getting back to those boys before they get themselves into a crap load of trouble."

John nodded in agreement, they definitely needed to get back on the road before trouble did what it did best, find Winchesters. Thinking over what got them into this predicament in the first place he couldn't help but get mad at himself the most; if he hadn't insisted on speeding to catch up to the boys, they would have been able to avoid the cow and they wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with – especially since after the Deputy found out what was going on, began to insult all of them about their true intentions were towards Dean and Sammy. Ok, to be fair, it was him that had hit the officer, even though the others were thinking about it. That's how it was him in the cell and not all four of them.

"Fine. Tell the… officer I'd like to talk to him." John sighed, tired of staring at the same four walls, his worry for his boys increasing by the second. "And tell Jim to make sure everything's ready with the rental – we need to get going, I'm getting a really bad feeling.

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"I finally got hold of Bobby. They had a little run in with a cow and a deputy, but they should be on the road soon… if they can get your dad out of jail." Caleb said as he slid into the Impala. He hadn't meant to be gone so long, but reception out there sucked – talk about 'no man's land.' "How's he doing?"

Dean shook his head and glanced at Caleb showing just how worried he was. At the moment his brother was calm, but earlier it was like the kid was trapped in the most vivid nightmare he'd ever heard of and he had practically had to hold him down until it passed. "He's hurting and I seriously doubt a darvocet is really going to help."

Smirking, Caleb could only think of, "Maybe he should try two?" The shocked look on Dean's face was priceless and they both laughed. Feeling better about the situation he nodded, "Ok, so… we have help on the way but it'll be a couple of hours, a hurting Sammy who can't wait a couple of hours, and not a damn thing we can do until then."

"Dean?" the young man in the back whimpered, "don't… no… DON'T!"

"Damn it, not again. Sa… Luc…damn it kiddo, what the hell am I supposed to call you anymore, huh kiddo?" Dean asked, feeling miserable that he couldn't find a way to make his brother feel better.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked, suddenly worried that something happened while he was gone.

Shaking his head, Dean had no idea what to tell his friend, he really didn't know himself. "I have no clue. He started this earlier, but I don't know if it's a nightmare or what. One thing's for certain, this can't be good for him – he's supposed to be resting, and just because his eyes are closed doesn't mean he's resting. "

Caleb nodded in agreement. Whatever was happening with Sammy wasn't something that would be considered restful. He watched as Dean maneuvered himself over the back of the seat until he was half in the front and half in the back, hanging precariously on the top of the bench seat. He shouldn't have been surprised as many times as he'd seen Dean do that very thing when Sammy was years younger and in the middle of a nightmare. He was lost in his memories and was completely caught off guard when both front doors were yanked open and both he and Dean were being dragged out of the car with Sam's screams following them all the way.


	16. Chapter 16

Lucas woke horribly from a nightmare right into his… nightmare. He really didn't want to think about how that was possible, instead concentrated that the man he was starting to call brother was right in the middle of a smack down with some very fugly guys and he had a feeling that the worst was yet to come. As he saw Dean and the other guy Caleb fight with everything they had, something niggled at the back of his brain and he had a feeling that what he really needed to do was get in the trunk.

It hurt like hell to get his brutalized body over the seat where he grabbed the keys from the ignition and slithered out the open door and crawled along the ground until he reached the back of the car. It was hard blocking out his pain with his brother screaming in rage and pain just a short distance away, but somehow he knew that he had to get to the trunk, no matter what. With the others further towards the front and away from him, he was able to open the trunk and was shocked to find… nothing. Not believing that he actually fell for the whole 'I saw it in a dream' bit, he was about duck back down to figure out his next move when something occurred to him and he opened the door a little more and tapped the bottom to hear the hollow echo. Smiling, he stretched as much as his position would allow and unanchored the lid to the hidden cache and reached inside to retrieve the first thing his hand hit.

The small shotgun felt odd in his hands but he wasn't about to second guess it. It only took a few more moments to find the ammo before he was making his presence known with the sound of the gun echoing like thunder across the area. He felt more comfortable with one on one, but at the moment he wasn't going to be picky; he knew this wouldn't hold them off for long, but he was sure it would be long enough.

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Dean hated being outmaneuvered, and damned if he wasn't severely outmaneuvered at the moment. Normally he wouldn't have a problem dealing with the possessed, but there was something about these guys that were pumped up on more than just the normal everyday demon juice. He knew Caleb was coming to the same conclusion as the guys who had him held him tight with no room to budge.

"What the hell do you want, huh?" he demanded. He might have a headache where one of hell's rejects knocked him around, but that didn't mean he was just going to roll over and play… anything. "What? Now you're the strong silent types?"

Sighing, the man in front of Dean shook his head. "Well, it's not you – that's for sure. Tell me Dean, did you really think that we'd go through all this trouble for _you_? Nah… you already know better than that, don't you? Now that kid brother of yours… mmmmm… yeah, now he's definitely someone we've been shopping around for."

"Keep your damn hands off him!" Dean and Caleb shouted in unison, only to feel as if claws were digging into their skulls; whatever these demons were doing, it hurt! There were only a few times in Dean's life that he didn't have a problem showing how much pain he was actually in, and this was one of them… his brain was on fire.

The sound of a shotgun cut through the screams until finally the only sound was the grunting of the demons as the loosened their grips on the two older men, to turn their attentions towards the youngest.

Dean barely understood that he wasn't being held prisoner anymore, until his brain finally deciphered what it was hearing – his brother cursing and a shotgun out of ammo. 'Damn it,' he thought as he staggered to his feet, 'what the hell's going on?'

Caleb had managed to get to his side and together they were going to do everything they could to protect Sammy noticing the kid was doing his best at holding his own between brute force and an empty shotgun as a club. Neither one wanted to contemplate how much damage the kid was actually doing to himself by standing upright without his crutches, instead thankful that he was aware enough to take drastic action. Looking at each other for only a small glance, they were both ready to jump back into the fray when everything changed – the leader tackled Sammy and was sitting on the kid's chest all the while holding onto Sammy's head with a feral grin.

"Let's get you fixed up, Boy King." The demon sneered, leaving his friends to finish off the two hunters.

Hearing Sammy's screams were more than enough to fuel Dean's rage and he charged the closest possessed man, completely ignoring everything else, including the sound of a gunshot.

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John hated the fact that he was banned from driving, but not as much as the smug looks on Bobby and Jim's faces. It had been bad enough that they had made him apologize to the cop that tossed him into jail in the first place, but for them to go as far as constantly rib him for it was something he couldn't wait to get some serious payback. However he knew that would have to wait awhile since they were closer to the boys than what Jim had told them – something about surprising them. Yeah, they'd be surprised alright…

"Knock it off John. Just because Sammy doesn't remember who the hell he is doesn't mean he wouldn't want to see you." Joshua groused as he raised his head long enough to look around. He didn't know about anyone else, but dealing with the Winchesters this much wore him out.

Grumbling something under his breath, John had actually been trying not to think about that, but yeah, with everything going on, he could see why his youngest son wouldn't want to see him right now.

Shaking his head, Bobby looked at his odometer and announced, "Keep an eye out, we should be coming across them pretty quick."

It wasn't until Jim cried out that they realized they should have risked another speeding ticket. Caleb and Dean were dragging themselves off the ground and staggering towards the men who surrounded Sammy. The truck skidded to a stop just as one of the men, obviously possessed, tackled the youngest Winchester and began seemingly clawing his way into the kid's head.

Not ones to take things for granted, it was easy for the four hunters to jump out of the truck armed with holy water and handguns loaded with rock salt. However it was Bobby's shotgun recovered from the bed that carried the most weight as he fired the shot right into the chest of the man who was obviously torturing Sammy. After that it seemed more like a free for all as John and Joshua rushed in to help Dean and Caleb while Jim and Bobby looked after the youngest of their group.

John had just reached Dean when he stopped suddenly, seeing the look of pure rage on his son's face and remembered that look quite well – the last time had been directed straight at him. Deciding that Dean had that one under control he turned his attention to the other one that was determined to help his friend out. Leveling his gun, he made the kill shot through the head but didn't feel any satisfaction knowing that another demon had been sent to hell. Turning his attention back to Dean he saw awareness finally set in and smirked when he heard his eldest shout to his brother.

"Sammy! Damn it… they were doing something to him, is he alright?" Dean yelled out, not bothering to see how the others were fairing.

Jim turned his attention to the others before turning his attention back to the young man that was beginning to regain consciousness. "Give him a minute Dean."

Looking at the man he'd known most of his life, Dean was ready to say exactly what he thought about that when he heard his brother groan. Dropping down next to Sammy, Dean was ready to start shouting when he saw the first real sign of consciousness and couldn't remember being so happy to see those green eyes since they found his brother again.

"What the…?"

"Calm down little brother, we don't know what that bastard did to you." Dean said sternly, hoping to keep Sammy lying down until they got a better idea of the damage done. "Where do you hurt? Bobby's gone to get the first aid kit and your meds.

"Uh… that's the thing. The pain's gone." Lucas said amazed as he sat up and began experimenting with moving his leg. When he raised his head he saw the shocked look on the others faces and knew exactly how they felt. "I don't get it. What happened? Who were they? What the hell did they want? What did they do to me?"

John was starting to smile. If anything, Lucas sounded just like Sammy – always asking questions. It wasn't until his youngest son asked one last thing that he thought he just felt his stomach hit his boots.

"And what the hell is a Boy King?"


	17. Chapter 17

AN: I hope you all like it... don't forget to let me know

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The music in the bar was loud enough to make most of the patrons' heads split open – if they weren't already working on tomorrow's hangover. As it was Lucas was among the room full of people who didn't care about tomorrow, in fact was hoping tomorrow wouldn't come. He watched the far corner knowing that a fight was about to break out, relishing the thought of jumping in the foray and releasing some of the frustrations that had been weighing on him since ever running into the Winchester's and their friends. What really pissed him off though was he was actually starting to like Dean, but that last run in with the demons changed things back to the dictatorship that John seemed to demand. Demons… yeah, that was something else that was really rubbing him the wrong way. Less than six months ago if someone had talked to him about demons he would have known they were one step shy of the loony bin, now though he'd actually seen one up close and personal and had the…what… _healing_ to prove it?

"_Ok, I don't get it. I'm better, it healed me, so why the hell is everyone's undies in a bunch?" Lucas asked after getting settled in the nearest motel room they could find. He didn't understand the problem, and in fact was thankful that he didn't have to go through rehab again._

"_You don't get it kid; demons don't do favors without strings attached." Caleb said sadly, wondering just when the crap was really going to hit the fan._

The memory of being looked at as if something in a Petri dish wouldn't dissipate and it angered him more than the words that were exchanged between him and John. It had been bad enough that everyone thought he needed to have a personal watch dog, but when Dean refused to consider any other options he knew it was time to do what he'd been itching to do since leaving West Oklahoma – leave!

_John stood in front of Lucas with a scowl on his face and refused to look anywhere else. "Look, until we know what you did to…"_

"_Wait… what? You're blaming all this on me? You freaks are the ones who keep trying to tell me I'm some long lost son, won't leave me alone, keep insisting that you know what's best, but all I see is a group of maniacs who don't know the difference between reality and TV!"_

"_Now look here," John growled and grabbed Lucas' jacket, ignoring the protests of the others. So intent on making his point to his youngest son, he completely forgot one important thing – this wasn't Sammy._

_Lucas grabbed John's arms and swung him around effectively slamming him into the wall before the words flowed lowly from his mouth, "Don't. Touch. Me."_

Now that he had a chance to think about it, maybe he did over react a bit – nah! He hadn't asked for any of this, but there it was – a group of people determined to 'remind him' of being someone else, another group of whatever that had their own agenda, and no idea what the hell to do about it.

The sounds of tables collapsing, and punches landing, broke his internal monologue and gave him something to focus on… beating the crap out of someone, hopefully large and dark headed.

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"I seriously cannot believe you!" Dean ranted, ignoring the man sitting on the edge of the bed. "Have you completely lost your mind, or are you waiting to really screw this up?"

Joshua smirked while shaking his head. He and the others had watched as the argument began to brew, and they all had given the kid credit for keeping his cool as long as he had, but the last straw had been when John actually grabbed Lucas, and then the situation changed dramatically. Although no one moved to break it up, no one was going to stand by and watch the two men have a knock out drag out either. As they watched carefully though, something changed. Lucas had been ready to land one in the middle of John's face when he suddenly stopped, stared at John, and then turned around and walked out the door. By the time Dean made it outside, it was like the kid had disappeared like a ghost and that didn't sit well with the older brother at all.

"Dean, leave it." John grumbled. He knew he should be angry, but at the moment all he felt was numb. He had actually been about to hit his son, his baby, all over something that a damn demon did without any known provocation. Maybe he hadn't learned his lesson after all.

"Dean, leave it." Dean mocked under his breath. It had been bad enough to watch his dad and brother come close to blows, but now this utter indifference his dad was showing was so far off the scale of what he would consider normal he was tempted to douse him in holy water and start the exorcism right then and there. Before he could add anything else though Bobby stopped him, making him feel ten times more the fool.

"Well if you two drama queens are done, how about we get back down to business? Right now we have a very angry and confused kid out there who's been told that he's part of a family, that everything would be alright if he just stuck with them, and the one damn time he's put in a position to find out if we're just blowing smoke up his ass, he finds out that it's a bunch of crap." Bobby snarled, ready to knock some sense into the two Winchester's. "No. I'm talking now. You two jackasses expected him to follow you around like a lost puppy… well guess what? Puppies have teeth. Now quit your bellyaching and get out there and prove to him that you meant what you said. And John? You ever suggest that boy brought this on himself and I'll personally dislocate your head from your shoulders."

Jim and Caleb opened the door waiting for the sudden realization to form on both John and Dean, and was more than ready to go find the missing member of their group, both of them wondering what took the others so damn long to get their priorities straightened out.

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Lucas would have found the irony of the song playing on the juke box if he wasn't enjoying himself so much, at the moment though Lynard Skynard's Three Steps just wasn't holding his attention. He couldn't help but catch snippets of what started the fight, an ex- husband and supposed best friend arguing about a drunken night with the Mrs. while the husband was working the late shift. It probably would have been funny any other night, but tonight would have been their tenth anniversary which set of the fireworks.

The drunken brawl that had started off strong, slowly dissipated until those who were standing were doing so with a noticeable sway, while the rest abandoned fighting gravity and lay where they dropped, oblivious of the contents of the floor. Lucas had to admit that he felt better, and wondered if maybe he should have given the idea of competitive kickboxing further consideration. He had just turned to make his way back to the bar when he felt someone behind him and instantly knew that this wasn't good.

"How about we go outside, Boy King?" the voice said quietly, mockingly.

Turning, Lucas wondered just what he'd done in a past life to have given him this much bad luck in his life. Sighing, he knew that if he didn't go outside, innocent people would get hurt. It was one thing for these people to get the crap beat out of them, completely something different for them to get dragged into something they wouldn't understand. Nodding, he walked towards the door wondering if there was anything he could really do to a demon – it wasn't like he had a chunk of kryptonite on him or anything, right?

The fresh air hit him and actually made him feel a bit of a rush after spending so much time in the dense smoke filled bar. His head felt lighter and suddenly it felt as if he was aware of everything around him, and he instantly knew that things weren't what they seemed. Turning suddenly he grabbed the man and flipped him onto the ground, holding the body in place with a hand on the chest and a knee in the groin.

"Now, you and me… we have some business to get to, so how about you start by telling me who you are and what you want." Lucas said.

The man hadn't planned on this, he'd been told that he would be able to get the guy out of the bar and subdue him quickly enough that no one would notice what was happening. Being threatened by the guy wasn't part of the plan. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The sound of Lucas' fist on the man's face sounded muted but the grunt coming from the man's mouth more than made up for it in Lucas' mind. It was after the third hit to the abdominal area that he changed tactics and picked up the man by his shirt and pants before slamming him down onto the asphalt. Two questions later and four body slams later, Lucas sat stunned on the parking lot. He didn't care that the man crawled away, and he sure as hell didn't care that people stared at him as they staggered out of the bar, the only time he moved was after hearing the pounding of boots on the parking lot surface before he saw Dean's face in front of him before he choked out, "Why did our Mom die?"


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway!

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"Wha…what did you say?" Dean asked, shocked not only by what he heard, but by the lost expression on his brother's face.

Lucas blinked a few times and looked at Dean before repeating, "Your mom… why did she die?"

Shaking his head, Dean wasn't sure whether to confront the man before him or not. Finally he decided to let it go for now. "Why? What did that… _thing_ say to you?"

Looking over towards the man who was still trying to crawl away even as Caleb and John reached him, Lucas shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he whispered, confused by the sudden sadness that overcame him for a minute. Looking back at Dean he stood and brushed the dirt off his pants. "So, I can't even get a beer now without all of you tracking me down like a dog, is that it?"

Jim and Bobby both groaned, knowing that right now wasn't the time to hash things out, people were starting to come out and they weren't taking the 'not our business' approach.

"Aaron, everything alright?" one of the men walking by asked, looking as if he were ready to jump in if the answer was anything but positive.

"_Aaron_ here just tripped over his feet, isn't that right… _friend_?" John replied, leaving no doubt in Aaron's mind what the answer needed to be.

"I'm fine Frank. Three too many, you know? Don't worry, these guys promised me a ride home and a tow for the truck." Aaron replied cautiously. He didn't know exactly what was happening, but he had a feeling that he was about to find out. 'Ok, this is definitely the last time I mix muscle relaxers and whiskey.' He promised himself as he began to understand that he had to have been in some wicked sort of blackout.

As they all watched the others slowly make their way to their cars, the hunters were wary about turning their backs on any of them knowing that it would only take an unguarded moment to be taken by surprise in another demonic attack. It didn't take a genius to see that the guy before them had no idea he was possessed, which was going to make it harder to keep things on a friendly level.

"Look Lucas, I'm sorry… we got worried and…"

Lucas looked at each man and shook his head. "I'm grabbing my things and I'm out of here. I don't want you following me. In fact what I want is to forget any of you ever existed in the first place!"

Dean cringed, knowing that part of the reason was him not fulfilling his promise to his brother, of not keeping the others at bay while they figured things out.

John paled at the thought of his altered youngest son out there by himself and was trying hard to come up with a way to keep him with them that didn't entail hogtying, sedation, or a good old fashioned right cross.

"Lucas, I understand your frustration, but please hear us out." Jim said quietly, silently praying that they could bide enough time for another course of action to become available.

"Yeah Lucas, why don't you rest a spell… maybe until my friends show up." Aaron snarled with a wicked grin, his eyes going as black as pitch. "It's going to be fun watching you suffer. The rules have changed, and I for one can't wait to get a taste of you."

Before anyone had a chance to move, Lucas rushed forward and smashed his fist into the man's face before looking at the hunters surrounding him. "You know what, forget it. You all keep telling me how much safer I am with you, but I never had this problem before you showed up."

As Caleb hauled the possessed man up by his armpits, he had to wonder just where the hell the sweet kid that he used to know went, then he remembered and scowled at the oldest Winchester, silently plotting the man's punishment for getting them all into this mess. "Alright, enough! How about giving me a hand here so we can finish this someplace a bit more private? Lucas, take his legs and we'll toss him in the back of the truck."

Not knowing what Caleb had in mind, the other hunters hurried to their vehicles leaving both Dean and John standing there wondering what was going on.

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There had been plenty of 'secluded' places that they could have stopped, but Bobby wanted to give Caleb a little extra time to deal with the youngest Winchester, he only hoped the guy hurried up, they couldn't stay on the road forever.

Caleb and Lucas sat in the bed of Bobby's truck with Aaron still unconscious between them. It had been a quiet ride so far and both men were thankful for it, but for two completely different reasons.

Lucas was happy to get away from everyone and their expectations. Sure, he was still with the lunatics, but… he was now several miles further than he was and that had to count for something.

While Lucas pondered the bliss of silence, Caleb was thankful that the kid next to him wasn't berating him for how he handled the situation back at the bar. He hadn't known what else to do besides enlist the kid's help in getting the man to the truck, but thankfully it had worked better than he had planned.

"So, what exactly is pissing you off?" Caleb asked casually as he pulled his pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, lighting one casually before looking back into the night. "Nevermind, I'm pretty sure I already know. How about this – why are you so determined to ignore what they're telling you?"

Taking a cigarette from Caleb, Lucas thought about it before he leaned back and admitted, "I guess it's easier to think I fell out of the sky than to admit that I wasn't wanted for whatever reason."

Hearing that come out of the younger man's mouth made Caleb choke for a moment before he turned and looked at Lucas, "Oh man… do you have it wrong. You've always been wanted kid, and not just by your dad and brother. Damn… you have no idea how many of us where torn up over your death. And yeah… you're not really dead, but it felt so damn real at the time." Taking a deep breath he tossed the lit cigarette out into the night, "Kiddo let me tell you what I remember of you… of Sammy. You loved your brother so much you thought he hung the moon and stars just for you every night. When you would go to school, whenever one of us was close we'd always follow you and your brother there and most times back just to make sure no one bothered you. Dean would go without something just to make sure you had enough, but you never took advantage of it, hell most times you'd find ways to give right back. Sure, you weren't perfect, none of us are. But let me tell you something. There's not one of us who doubted that you had our backs when it was needed, who doubted your worth as a hunter, or as a friend. Whatever else you might think, never doubt that doing this job has been hell without you."

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John and Dean followed Bobby's truck in the Impala, both watching the scene unfold ahead of them. They both had worried about whatever it was that Caleb had planned and was about to sound off on it when Joshua brought them back to reality with, 'Yeah, like your plans have worked out so well,' causing both men to shut up before the discussion really began.

They watched as it looked like Caleb was saying something to Sammy and they really wished they could tell what it was with the little light the headlights where giving off. Both men hoped that whatever it was was actually working, because at this point they didn't know what else would do it.

The dirt road the vehicles turned off at was in disrepair enough that each vehicle had to take it slower than any of them would under normal circumstances, but the idea was to get to their destination in one piece. Finally a worn down house came into view, giving the hunters at least a small sense of relief. It didn't take long for the men to step out of their cars and trucks and even less time to converge at the truck bed that held something they hoped would grant them information they needed.

"Alright, let's get him inside, I doubt he'll stay out much longer." Bobby said solemnly as he looked between Caleb and Lucas and saw no real change in attitude. Shaking his head he turned towards the house to let them all in before something else went wrong.

By the time they got Aaron secured, salt lines laid, and the devil's trap drawn, tempers were short and the need to make something suffer was long. It was John though who took the initiative and tossed the bucket of holy water onto the man in front of him, hoping that what happened next would wake up his son to the fact that he wasn't safe by himself.

"Wake up you bastard!" he snarled, ready to toss more water onto the host if need be. He and the others weren't ready for the laughter that echoed throughout the room.

"Oh Johnny boy, whatever have you done?" Aaron sang out while smiling viciously at the hunter. "Why, you brought me a present, how very thoughtful of you."

Puzzled, the hunters looked at each other, each getting a distinct feeling of unease settling deep within their gut. Something definitely wasn't right, but they weren't sure what it was. Not wanting to take any chances, they all stepped in front of the most vulnerable of them all and stared at the bound man in front of them.

"Awwww, now you really didn't have to do that. I mean, it's not like I want to hurt him or anything… just play with him awhile – that's all." The voice continued to sing out, making the hair rise on the arms of the room's occupants.

The man's eyes were no longer black but the shade of quicksilver, leaving no doubt the coldness of its owner. Facing any demon had its risks, but an unknown enemy made the hunters itch in all the wrong places. Before any of them got another chance to speak or move, Aaron stood as the bindings released themselves from his wrists and ankles. Smiling, the demon walked through the devil's trap and over the salt with only a minor grimace before he allowed himself to chuckle darkly.

"You really think you know it all, don't you? Well, I'll consider it an honor to teach all of you a few tricks before I send each of you to Hell."

John looked at Bobby and realized that the other man had no idea what to do about this and wondered just how they were going to get out of this mess breathing.

Dean didn't have to look at his brother to know that the kid was more than a little confused, and he had to agree – this wasn't anything that he'd dealt with before and it was more than a little unnerving.

"I tell you what, you give over the Boy King, and I'll let all of you go… relatively unharmed." The demon smiled as he walked slowly towards the group of men, looking only at the youngest of them. "What do you say, do we have a deal?"

"No way ass wipe, the only deal you're getting is if we send your sorry ass back in one piece or not!" Dean yelled, positioning himself further in front of his Sammy. Sure it wasn't the best threat he'd ever come up with, but it still got the point across, the demon would get his little brother over his cold dead body.

As if reading Dean's mind, the demon smiled with delight and uttered, "Oh my boy, that can definitely be arranged."

Not knowing what was going on, the hunters were taken off guard when Dean was flung straight up in the air to slam into the high ceiling connecting with the timber rafters before being forcibly tossed back down only to be suspended harshly in mid air out of his family and friends reach. Loudly protesting the harsh treatment of their younger member, the hunters were unprepared for the heat that suddenly formed around Dean, contorting itself into a ball cage of fire surrounding him.

"As you can see, I'm not your everyday variety demon. So, since we have that established, let me make that offer one more time. Samuel, come here and everyone else goes free. If you don't, dear old Dean here dies."

"Don't you do it Sammy!" Dean yelled, trying hard to break free from the invisible hold, but watching warily the ever increasing flames inching towards him as the cage slowly began to contract.

John and the others fought to move, but their bodies were paralyzed where they stood. He could hear Caleb cursing in the background and he silently had to agree with the other man's assessment, they were completely and totally screwed. Pastor Jim had been reciting exorcisms as well as banishing spells, first under his breath, then louder as if in complete defiance, but none had any effect on the demon, it was definitely _not_ one of their finest moments.

Dean's grunts of discomfort was bordering the lines of pain as the demon smirked again and pointed nonchalant towards the fiery cage.

"Come come, you might have all day, but I do have other matters to attend to." The demon said, exasperated that he had to repeat himself. Letting out a deep, put upon breath he pulled his hand into a fist, "Fine, you leave me no other choice in the matter."

Lucas stood shocked at what was going on. It was one thing to listen to everyone's insistence that things like this really happened; it was another to actually see it in action. What he didn't understand though, what did it have to do with him? "Stop it alright? I'll go with you… just put him down, unharmed, and I'll go."

"NO! Sammy, damn it, I'm so going to kick your ass!" Dean screamed as he heard his baby brother agree to the demon's demands.

"Very good, see… I was sure we could come to an agreement. Now, walk over here and…"

"Nope, I'm not as stupid as you think I am. Let them all go… then I'll go over there."

The protests from the others reached a crescendo that left the demon no other choice but to roar in outrage, drowning out any other sound in the room. Finally, after the echoes died down, he turned once more to his prey and demanded, "You have left me no choice but to show you how serious I am."

The smell of singed hair and burning clothes permeated the room, sending alarm through the hunters as well as Lucas. "Let him go!" he demanded, turning from the sight of the man he'd considered brother was now becoming very close to being burned alive. Seeing the demon's satisfied look, something deep down broke free and not knowing what it was Lucas couldn't push it down. Without thinking, without considering where it came from, he took a step forward, demanding furiously, "Let. My. Brother. _Go_!"

No sound was heard for a split second before suddenly a wave of pure energy burst forth from Lucas and slammed into the demon possessed man, pushing not only the lower echeloned demon, but the more powerful one who had deemed it ingenious to piggy back a ride, from the unsuspecting host. The concussion from the blast knocked everyone over, releasing Dean to fall harshly onto the floor. It took a moment for the others to make sense of what they saw, and only another to sadly look over and take in a familiar sight; Dean cradling his injured and bleeding sibling close.


	19. Chapter 19

The birds chirping around the salvage yard did nothing to lighten the mood inside the house, or to soothe the people within. After seeing that the youngest Winchester wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, but the unease of taking him to a hospital was prevalent, it was quickly decided that Bobby's home was the only place safe enough to really check over the unconscious young man and hopefully bring him back around. That had been four days ago and the heavy feeling of worry was growing by the moment.

Dean sat and watched his little brother sleep. It wasn't as if he'd never done it before, but it had been so long since he'd actually had to _will_ his Sammy to come back to him – to plead with whoever or whatever was listening that he'd be alright.

"C'mon Sammy, I know you're tired man, but we need you awake now." He said quietly, sadly. A small plea he hoped would break through whatever barriers was keeping his brother from him. The only response though was complete and total quiet save for the soft sound of breathing coming from the bed next to him. Soft, steady, and in a steady rhythm that gave Dean a small measure of peace.

"How's he doing son?" John asked quietly as he tentatively walked into the room, hesitant to intrude but knowing that Dean wasn't going anywhere until Sam was awake or dead. 'God, please don't let it be the latter, I don't think we can take that again.' He thought with despair.

Shaking his head, Dean didn't have an answer, just a hope that Sammy was sounding stronger, that his presence seemed larger somehow. He accepted the large mug of coffee and the sandwich with trepidation – if his dad thought he needed to be waited on, then he most likely thought Sammy wasn't going to make it. That thought, that gesture, really _pissed him off!_

"Dad, how about you get out of here and hunt the bastard down that did this to him, huh? I mean damn… you'd never have stayed this long before, what's changed now?" he demanded, wanted to hear from his own father's mouth the sudden about face in Winchester policy.

Stunned, John wasn't sure what to say. How could he tell Dean about everything he knew, about everything he suspected, and most of all about everything he felt – even as conflicted as those feelings were. How could he stand there and tell his oldest son that his brother could very well become something they would have to hunt?

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As Bobby, Jim and Caleb sat at the small table staring at their coffee, Joshua paced the kitchen muttering things he'd like to try out on John when the man least expected it. To think that their friend actually believed the crap that a few lowly demons had been spouting off the last several years was idiotic to say the least.

"Sit down Joshua. You wearing a hole in Bobby's floor isn't helping any." Jim said with a soft command. He too was worried, but at the moment he could only deal with one issue at a time, and right now that was how to awaken the young man upstairs.

Joshua sat down and bent down until his head rested on his large folded hands. He continued to ignore the others, knowing that they were feeling the same things he was, that they didn't begrudge him his attitude.

"So, is this something we can fix, or is this just something that we sit back and ride out?" Caleb asked bitterly, knowing that they understood he wasn't talking about just the sleeping Winchester.

"I don't know, I really don't." Bobby replied, "It's bad enough that Lucas still doesn't believe he's Sam, but with John breathing down his neck, I have a feeling that it's just going to make matters worse."

Nodding, the others agreed – John had a bad habit of rubbing people the wrong way, especially when patience is in order.

Standing suddenly, Bobby left the room muttering something about finding a way to ease the transition and disappeared out the door into the side yard.

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Dean pushed his Dad out into the hallway and stood there barring the older man's way back in. There was no way he was going to allow anyone or anything to upset his little brother again – not for a good long while.

"Dean, you need to understand…"

"What Dad? I need to understand what? That my little brother is caught up in the middle of something that you have a clue about but aren't sharing with the rest of the class? That you've already made your mind up about something and are just dragging us along for the ride? What is it that I need to understand?" Dean demanded, looking fiercely at the man in front of him – finally seeing the tarnish on his once hero.

Sighing, John nodded, he deserved that, he knew he did. No matter how much it rankled him to admit it, Dean was right. "Yeah, alright, you've made your point son. Let's go downstairs and I'll tell you what I know, then you can tell me if you think I've overreacted."

Wary, Dean looked between his dad and his little brother, hoping that he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life. Nodding, he followed his dad down the stairs and stopped a moment when he saw Bobby walk inside looking as if he had the hardest damn workout in his life.

"Damn Bobby, you alright? You look one step away from a heart attack."

"Shuddap you idgit. I take it the infamous John Winchester actually has some pearl of wisdom to bestow upon us mere mortals?" Bobby groused as he made to the living room were the rest were beginning to join them.

Uneasy, Dean didn't like the sudden solemn mood and instantly wanted to be back next to his brother where he belonged, but somehow he knew he needed to hear this – if for no other reason than to know who the true friends were and who were the enemies within.

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A deep breath beaconed and he couldn't find a reason to deny it. Lucas… no… Sam… opened his eyes and blinked rapidly in the attempt to get used to the brightness in the room. He knew he was alone, he sensed that right away, but he also knew that it was a new instance; that Dean had been there by his side for who knew how long. Sighing, he slowly stretched before he gingerly swung his legs off the bed and looked down at the sweat pants he was wearing. Smiling he shook his head. While living the life of Lucas he hadn't bothered with night clothes, preferring to sleep nude with a pair of jeans next to the bed in case of an emergency. It had been a point of contention with his friend Maude, but once she knew he wasn't going to change his mind, had immediately accepted it as a quirk of her young boarder and friend.

Smiling sadly he allowed the memory of Maude sweep over him, but pushed down the pain of her death – he couldn't deal with that right now, not here. Looking around he instantly knew where he was and shook his head knowing that this really had to chap his dad's hide to be inside Bobby's house again.

'Great, not only a moody Winchester, but one that had to swallow his pride on top of it. Oh this is going to be a great day.' He thought sourly as he slowly made his way to his duffle bag and picked out a change of clothes while contemplating how weird it felt to have memories of twenty two years but feeling as if he was still sixteen. If he didn't already know how screwed up his family was, he would have thought he was in the process of losing his mind.

Finally dressed but ignoring his boots for now, he gingerly made his way to the hallway pausing only a moment when he heard his dad speak and stood stunned at what he was hearing, but even that was beginning to melt away to fury.

"… I know none of you agree, but if I'm right, then the same demon who killed Mary is going to come after Sammy and get him to lead his army for only God knows what purpose." John said emphatically, tired of trying to convince these people, his friends, that he hadn't made the worst mistake of his life by pushing his son away for so long.

"It's not that we're deaf John, we hear just fine so stop yelling. What we're having trouble with is that you've already convicted that boy of something that he had no control over, and now you want us to what… stand to the side and let you bumble through this mess – again? No, I'm sorry, but I cannot let this continue. It's one thing to have a vendetta against the evils of the world that came and claimed someone so precious to you… it's something altogether different when you carry your vindictive nature to someone who didn't deserve it." Jim stated plainly, watching as John's demeanor changed from borderline excitement like it did when laying out a plan for a hunt, to disbelief that anyone would question him and his knowledge. "There are always more than one way to interpret data John, you have always chosen to see things in either black or white, but life is full of grey – otherwise none of us would be able to do what we do."

"Jim, you need to listen. I know that Sammy didn't do anything as a baby, but what if whatever happened that night put enough influence over him that as he grew older he…"

"I what Dad - grew horns and blew flames out my mouth, raping and pillaging the unsuspecting people of the planet? Is that what you're so damn worried about, or is it that you'll have to stand back and realize that you're no better than the very thing that took Mom from us." Sam said with a firm steel that sent every hunter's gaze up to him as he descended the stairs. "You've talked about how Mom's _choice_ was taken, how we didn't have a _choice_ anymore except to follow your lead so we could find the damn thing and make it pay. But you took those choices away too, and you're still doing it. It's called _free will_; you might want to look it up sometime."

Dean wasn't sure if the heavy pit in his stomach was from the words he'd just heard, the fact that his little brother had managed to jump into a fight with his dad in less than five minutes of being awake, or the fact that everyone was looking at _him_ for direction. Sighing, he was about to do what he did best, mediate between dad and brother, when his dad opened his mouth again.

"Sam, sometimes choices have to be made and their not always popular ones. We just do the best we can and deal with it." John said tiredly, wishing his youngest had stayed blissfully unaware of what they had been discussing.

"Choices. There's that word again Dad. Keep it up and maybe you'll actually believe that everyone else had a choice besides you. You took _my_ choice away when you made that idiotic wish and you're _still_ doing it. It wasn't my choice to have another life ripped apart; it wasn't my choice to watch the one person who gave a damn for the last five years fade away because of some demonic lunatic… that's on you. Do you really think that it's a coincidence that suddenly weird things started happening and then you show up in time for everything to fall apart. I didn't know how screwed up the world really was until you all appeared on my doorstep and brought that knowledge with you. You weren't satisfied screwing up one life for me, you had to go and take away a whole other one. It might not have been as great as what you think yours is, but it was mine! You could have walked away, but no… you had to go and do what you wanted, find out what you missed, how I could still be alive – and you took it away just like you were hoping to. Because whether or not you want to believe it, you don't want to think of me or anyone else happy if you can't be yourself."


	20. Chapter 20

AN: Ok, I'm not sure if I conveyed what everyone's feeling in this one - once again I'm a bit distracted. So if it doesn't work, let me know and I'll try better next time, ok? great!

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"How dare you!" John growled out, as he approached Sam, intent on shutting the kid up. "Do you have any idea how much we gave up for your selfishness? How many allowances were made for you?"

"Right, like you were known for your allowances." Sam shot back, knowing that something was about to happen, but not exactly sure what. It wasn't until his body was already ducking the fist and responding in kind that he realized what just happened. Looking down at the man he'd called 'Dad' for so many years he shook his head. "I'm not a kid anymore Dad, and what right you had to any say so in my life went out the window when you made that deal. So how about doing everyone a favor and deal with it?"

Dean stared at his brother, still not believing Sammy had knocked their dad to the ground with one punch. He had known what was coming, he hadn't lived that long with his family not to know the signs, but it still shocked him that they had actually finally came to blows. Watching Sammy walk outside he knew that he needed to pick a side, but had no idea which one – sure he swore to always protect his little brother, but he there was loyalty to their dad to consider too. Looking at the others he knew what they were expecting but it was the words from his father's mouth that made his decision for him.

"Damn fool kid – he's going to get us all killed."

Taking a deep breath, he turned and silently rushed out the door in hopes of finding Sammy close by. Somehow, someway, he needed to show his little brother that he wasn't alone.

John sat up and stared at disbelief that Dean would just turn his back on him, after everything he'd done for him.

"What else did you expect from him John? Sammy's been his practically since the day the kid was born; you can't change that just because it's now inconvenient for you to think so." Bobby said sadly, wishing things could have been different, but at the moment just glad that they now knew what they had to work with. "Don't worry; the idjits aren't going too far. Meanwhile, why don't we actually try to do something useful like figuring out what the damn bastards want with the kid."

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Dean knew he wasn't too far from Sammy, but the problem was – he didn't know which direction his little brother went. Taking a deep breath he stopped and listened, not for the any sounds telling him where Sammy was, but to tell him the absences of sounds that should be prevalent. He knew that Bobby's dog Rumsfield should have been on the porch, but the mutt wasn't under foot at the moment telling him that his little brother wasn't as alone as what he'd probably expected. Smiling, he looked towards the stack of cars and knew he figured out where the missing Winchester was heading.

It didn't take long to find the bulked out kid he used to know sitting on the tire swing underneath the oak tree behind the salvage yard. In fact, it took Dean back to a time that everything could be made better just by Sammy's dimpled smile and quick 'you're the bestest big brother in the whole world, Dean!' Now though things weren't the same and he was wondering if he was having this much trouble dealing with the past and present colliding, how the hell was Sammy handling it?

"Sammy?" Dean cautiously called out, hoping that his presence wasn't going to spook the kid.

Looking up, Sam sighed and nodded knowing exactly what his brother was silently asking. "Yeah, I'm alright… well, as alright as I can be." Sam said quietly with a self depreciating laugh. "Guess he and I really can't be in the same room together for more than five minutes, huh?"

Laughing himself, Dean understood where Sammy was coming from but wasn't going to let this opportunity pass, not this time. "Yeah well, you know Dad. Hey Sammy, look… I need to tell you something and I know it's not fair to lay this on you right now, but… you're going to find out eventually and I don't want it to be from someone else."

Sam watched Dean nervously, knowing that they were about to have one hell of a chick flick moment and that the only way his brother would even consider it was if he thought it would somehow help him. He stayed silent as Dean rolled up the sleeves on his shirt and stared in horror at what he saw.

"Dean… WHAT THE HELL MAN?!?" he exclaimed as he reached over and grabbed his brother's wrists harshly before pulling them closer and examining each one closely. "You… you were serious. Oh my God Dean… what the…?"

"I couldn't Sammy. I couldn't live without you. After you… died, I wanted to follow and… and I would have. God Sammy, if it wasn't for Dad and the others… I would have." Dean admitted sadly as he watched his little brother choke on his breath. "I wouldn't have known Sammy… I wouldn't have known you were still alive."

That heart wrenching admission was enough to send Sam for the one constant in his sixteen years of life. Grabbing hold of his big brother, he held on, refusing to cry, refusing to make this about him and his pain of missing out on so much, all the while wishing he had that damn creature that did this to his family in his grasp.

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The stunned silence in the room was the only answer John needed to tell him that maybe he gave them too much information too soon. That theory was only confirmed when Bobby began to look like a storm cloud close to bursting loose.

"What the hell are you talking about John? There's no damn way that Sam's going to lead some damn army of evil. I really thought you were smarter than that, guess I was wrong." Bobby snarled as he turned away from his friend and marched towards his desk to get away from the lunatic.

Sighing, John ran his hands through his hair and ignored the incredulous looks on the others faces. "Look Bobby, I get it, I really do. But you have to understand, Sammy's gone, what we have in his place… he's more like what Sammy was mixed with this stranger now. We really can't say which side this version's going to take if push comes to shove."

"You have got to be kidding me." Caleb growled. "Seriously, you have got to be kidding me with this crap. Damn it John, after all the kid's been through and now you're doubting him?"

Jim stood and leveled his gaze at the man before him. "I think you've done enough damage today John. I suggest you find someplace and get your head on straight." He said as he nodded towards the door.

Everyone's attention turned toward the door where Dean and Sam were standing in a semi shocked state. It took only another moment before anger once again clouded the youngest Winchester's face before he turned and walked outside once again.

"Damn it Dad," Dean groaned, "I just had him talked into coming back, couldn't this have waited until… I don't know… never?"

John stood and stared at his oldest son, wondering where everything went so wrong. He hadn't felt this torn since Mary's passing and he wasn't sure what his son was expecting of him. "Dean, son… I know it's a lot to take in, but…"

"But nothing Dad. That's Sammy out there, not some demonic leader. Was this why you were always riding his ass? Blaming him for every damn thing that went wrong those last couple of years? Do you have any idea how many times I told him he was just being a selfish brat for arguing with you all the time? Do you? God Dad, he was sixteen when he died – sixteen! Most kids his age were worried about their latest crush or getting their license, he had to worry if you were going to toss him away like yesterday's garbage."

Dean was getting more worked up by the moment and it didn't look like he was going to calm down anytime soon. However, just when everyone was sure he was going to continue he stopped and stared at his dad before shaking his head and turning towards the door once again.

"Dean, why don't you find something cold for you and your brother to drink, I'll go out there and make sure he's alright." Bobby suggested as he walked across the room. Seeing the argument brewing he tossed a harsh look Dean's way before continuing, "Look, you go out there like this and it'll do more damage than anything your daddy's thought up. Now get in there and grab a couple beers, but take your time doing it – I don't need any more Winchester's putting their foot in their mouths."

As Bobby headed towards the door, John began to move with the sole purpose of intercepting him but didn't get more than a couple feet when he felt a large hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found Joshua's harsh glare and knew that he had more convincing to do before he could even think about dealing with his son one on one again.

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The sound of flesh and bone hitting something with dull thumps echoed through the yard letting Bobby know that Sammy found his surprise. He might not have had kids of his own, but he knew when a person was at the end of his rope and needed a way to let out some frustrations before the weight either crushed them or they exploded under the pressure. Walking into the workshop he paused only a moment to watch the younger man before him attack the makeshift punching bag he'd hung up earlier, knowing that more than likely his intrusion wasn't going to be a welcomed one.

"Leave me alone Bobby, please." Sam stated with gritted teeth. He knew that sounded ungrateful but at the moment the strange body he was in was about as unpredictable as anything he could have imagined. It was bad enough that he had the knowledge of being away from his family for six years with only five years of memories to go with it, but to know that the body he had before was long gone and replaced by nothing shorter than a raging testosterone factory was enough to overload even his geeky brain.

"Sorry kid, not happening. For what it's worth though, your Dad's an ass." Bobby stated blandly as he walked over and leaned against a work bench, content in watching Sammy do whatever damage he needed to do – as long as it wasn't to himself.

Sam sighed and ran his hands through his hair, tugging ineffectively on it before turning to the older hunter. "I just don't get it. Why didn't he say anything? I mean… he had to have known before I … went missing, and then when you guys found me… if he really thought that, why didn't he just deal with it like any other hunt? I don't understand Bobby, I really don't."

Bobby let the words of the anxious young man finish echoing throughout the room and watched the heartbreak flash through his face before he offered what consolation he could.

"So, you learn anything about cars while you were gone?"

Puzzled, Sam looked at Bobby before shrugging. "Well, if I already know what needs to be replaced then I can do it. I haven't really figured out the diagnostic stuff yet."

"That'll do. I have a friend who's a real klutz with cars… always buys a car on looks alone, not really seeing what's going on beneath the surface. So now I have to put in a new starter and give it a tune up – think you're up to it?" Bobby asked, hoping that Sammy would take the offer for what it was, a sign of trust and caring.

Smiling, Sam nodded, grateful to Bobby and accepted it for what it was – acceptance. "Yeah… yeah, I think I can do that."


	21. Chapter 21

AN: Ok... I think the problem with the site has thrown me off... so please forgive me if it sucks... I'll do better, I'm sure!!!

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The sound of Hank Williams floated across the yard into the house from a small transistor radio that Sam had dug out of his bag and dared anyone to turn the station. Having no idea what to think about that, the others had given him the space he'd silently demanded although John and Dean both wondered how long it would take before the youngest member of their family admitted he had no idea what he was doing.

"Don't sell the kid short, from what I've seen so far, he's doing a decent enough job." Bobby said as he tipped his beer bottle back to take another drink. He'd been wondering how long it would take before the two in front of him finally showed their lack of faith in Sammy. "Just because you knew him as a klutz around cars doesn't mean someone out there didn't show him a bit of an interest. Let him be for once, that goes for you too Dean. Hell, if he screws up, I'll fix it, no harm done. But I'm willing to bet that he'll have the damn thing running like it should before the hours up."

Snorting, John shook his head before heading towards the kitchen to grab another beer to help his wait along. He didn't know what Bobby was thinking letting Sammy get within ten feet of a paying customer's vehicle, but he was more than willing to watch as the man had to fix whatever his boy broke; and he had no doubt Sammy would break something else while trying to 'fix' it.

Dean watched Bobby's relaxed features and was about to head to the door to give his brother a hand when he saw the stern look on the older man's face warning him not to do it. Puzzled by the determination he saw there he was about to go anyway when he heard an engine turn over and although it sounded a bit rough, he saw Bobby's nod and slight grin, making him stop and wait a moment. It didn't take long before he heard the idle smooth out, leaving him stunned that his little brother knew what to do. "How…?"

"I asked the kid if he could do it, he said that he could, that simple. The problem you two keep having with him is that you forget he's led a whole other life without you. I suggest you both start remembering that." Bobby said before standing and making his way to the door. "Since he's done already, I think I'm going to try and give him something a bit harder… I think it's about time the Chevelle's up and running again."

Both John and Dean stood and watched as Bobby walked towards his workshop yelling for Sammy along the way.

"Huh… I never thought I'd say this son, but maybe we've judged the situation wrong." John said sadly while placing his bottle on the table, not surprised by the answer he received.

"Right Dad… like it was all of us who put us in this situation. I need to talk to my brother and somehow I don't think you're going to be too welcome at the moment."

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Bobby had called out to Sam and smiled when he saw the greasy face peering around the hood at him. He didn't bother telling the kid to turn down the radio, something told him it wasn't going to happen, so he got closer and watched as the final adjustments were made and finally the car turned off.

"What's up Bobby?" Sam asked as he began to wipe down the wrench he'd used to replace the starter. He might not know a lot about tools, but he did know that once you were done you cleaned them up so they lasted longer.

"Just wanted to see if you and your buddy there are ready to take on another project." Bobby said amused as he watched understanding finally form on Sam's face. "What's with the Classic Country station anyway?"

Shrugging, Sam turned and turned it down before he confessed, "Maude liked it. Every Saturday night she and I would sit and listen to it before she went to bed. She knew I would take off at night and she thought that if she could keep me around a few extra hours then she was accomplishing something."

Nodding, Bobby watched as Sam turned away and respected the boy enough to give him the privacy he wanted to grieve for a moment. Seeing that Sam was ready to resume the conversation he grinned a moment before motioning toward the side of the yard. "I'm hoping you'd be willing to help me with a little project of mine. The Chevelle over there needs an overhaul and honestly, it holds a few too many memories in her for me to do it myself. If you're willing to help me get her going again I'd appreciate it."

Sam stood and looked at Bobby wondering if the older man was serious or maybe completely out of his mind. "Look Bobby, I appreciate you letting me stay out here and do this for your friend, but I really have no clue what I'm doing unless someone actually tells me what needs to be done. You could probably have a monkey do a better job and…"

"…and I'm asking you to help me do it… not do it by yourself you idgit. Jeez boy, you'd think I just told you to fly to the moon. I figure it'll give you a chance to stay away from John and maybe we can even get Dean to hand over some tools every now and again." Bobby said with a smirk when he realized the eldest brother was close by. "Come on, you can't tell me that you're not itching for some payback."

Laughing, Sam could only shake his head at the memory of trying to chase down nonexistent tools for his brother and father. "Yeah, ok. Just… don't expect too much from me, ok… I'm still learning."

Bobby laughed and patted Sam on the back, "Aren't we all. Don't worry; I won't have you boring out any holes until the second day."

Dean stood back and watched Bobby joke with his little brother and admitted that it looked like the most natural thing in the world. Feeling jealous, he was about to make his way back to the house when he heard Sammy call his name. Turning, he came face to face with the one person he wasn't sure needed him anymore.

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John watched as Bobby and Sammy joked around and couldn't help but wonder at the resentment he felt building up inside. It should be him out there making his son feel welcome, but he couldn't bring his feet to move towards the door. It wasn't until he heard Joshua speak that he realized that he wasn't being subtle about his feelings.

"You know, you can't keep treating the kid like a pariah and then get mad at him when he responds to someone else." Joshua said as he too watched as Bobby and Sammy looked to have come to some sort of understanding. "The kid would have followed you to Hell if you'd asked him to, but you kept shoving him to the side… guess we know why now, you wanted to believe that everything's his fault, you wanted an excuse to hold onto that his not following you was his doing and not yours."

"Damn it, stay out of this Joshua or so help me…"

"What John? You're going to hit me?" Joshua paused, seeing the startled look on the other man's face. "Yeah, I know about it. It actually amazes me that Dean hasn't figured it out yet, but then again he was more than tolerant of your behavior than Sammy was. My question is, what the hell did the kid say to you to make you clock him one? The kid was twelve man, surly you could have found a way to avoid that outcome."

Deflated, John shook his head sadly and sat heavily in the chair. "I won't ask how you know, I can guess that one pretty well. You know what sickens me about the whole thing? For once he wasn't giving me a hard time about missing school, or even a normal life. No, he was questioning my love for Dean. The kid had just seen me chase after the damn thing that had chucked his brother down a ravine and instead of calming down and seeing the question for what it was I hit the kid for expressing his fear for his brother."

"You did what?" the question growled low and seemed to echo through the room making the other occupants turn to the source, causing John to groan slightly as he realized that they weren't alone, that Dean had somehow managed to enter the house unnoticed.

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Turning, Dean saw his not so little brother smiling at him and he couldn't help but wonder why the kid looked so damn happy… couldn't he tell that his world was crashing down around his ears?

"Hey Dean, look you know we were just kidding around, we're not going to make you play go-fer or anything, right?" Sam asked, sure that that had to be the reason why Dean looked so out of character. "Besides, I'm going to need you around to make sure Bobby's not trying to pull a fast one himself, you know?"

Dean laughed slightly and nodded his head. "Yeah, knowing him he'd have you believing that the oil cap and distributor cap were one and the same."

"Dean… I'm not _that_ deficient. The oil cap goes under the engine to keep the oil in." Sam deadpanned and nearly choked on his breath at the shocked look on his brother's face. "Kidding… just _kidding_! Jeez man, you really need to lighten up. Hey, how about just you and me head over to the bar in town and kick back for awhile. I have a feeling that these guys are going to be real downers for awhile."

Looking at his brother Dean took the time to make sure that he was really seeing what was there and not what he wanted. Satisfied that Sammy really did want to just hang out for awhile, he nodded. "Yeah man, give me a minute to get the keys, alright?"

Heading back inside Dean was aware of a conversation going on but chose to ignore it until something perked his interest and then he began to see red. Hearing his father talk about hitting his brother was bad enough, but the worst part was… he remembered that hunt, remembered seeing Sammy's bruised face upon waking up in the motel room and assuming that it had been the damn water sprite that had got him. It had never occurred to him that it was their dad, that their own father would have belted the kid for sharing a concern that he himself had wondered over and over more times than he wanted to count. Not able to let it go, not able to resist confronting the same man who had instilled in them that family was everything, he walked into the kitchen.

"You did what?" he asked, the anger simmered just below the surface and it was taking what self control he had not to lunge at the man, especially when that same man looked at him as if he'd just been caught doing something completely heinous. "You have got to be kidding me. You hit him because he asked you if you still cared about me after you ran off and left me there? Is that what I'm hearing? My God Dad, do you know how many times that I had to tell Sammy that you'd never hit us, that you loved us too much for that, and you what… get pissy one day and prove me wrong? He was scared and you proved him right. Damn it! Was this before or after your started hearing your little paranoid delusions about something being after him? Well?"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Bobby yelled as he slammed into the house. "Damn fool Winchesters. I swear I'm about to take my buckshot to the lot of you. Every damn time I think we're going to have some peace and quiet and you idgits have to show your asses. Now what the hell's all the yelling about?"

Dean motioned at John and clenched his fists in the effort not to attack. "Him. He hit my brother when he was twelve, after leaving both of us to the hands of a crazed water sprite with me unconscious and Sammy having to take care of us. You want to know why? Because the kid was scared and asked a question that's why!"

"Dean," Sam said quietly as he made his way into the house. "It's over and done man, come on… I promise it doesn't even hurt anymore. Let's get a few beers, play some pool and cool off."

"How the hell can you say that Sammy? He hit you! Hell, as far as I know it was more than once. You're going to stand there and defend him now?" Dean demanded, wanting to hear it from his brother's mouth that he was standing by their father.

Shaking his head Sam stood and held up his hands. "Nope, not going to touch that one with a ten foot pole. You want to be mad, fine, be mad. When you calm down a bit let me know and we can head out, or I'll go by myself. Either way I'm heading toward the bar, the question is… am I walking or are you driving."

The room full of men watched as Sam turned and exited the house, making them all wonder what the hell that was all about.


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Ok... so I know it's been a long wait and for that I'm really sorry, I just hope this last chapter doesn't disappoint. Take care!!!

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The bar was loud, smoky and full of people who would rather not know who was sitting next to them or why – just the way Lucas would have liked it. That was the problem though, what he once was, was now fading and he didn't know which version of himself was going to win… much less which one he wanted to. He had to admit that he liked the feel of doing something with his hands, the labor involved while tinkering around with the car reminded him of hanging out with a friend of Maude's who had insisted that he become at least marginally mechanical if for no other reason than to help the older woman when one of the stoves broke down. On the other side of the coin though, it felt nice to be surrounded with what he'd known for so many years. The familiarity of Bobby's library and the smell of the books as well as the comfort of having his brother close by. He hadn't been joking with Dean when he said that he was having trouble adjusting with everything, in fact now he really didn't think he'd done it enough justice. He just got his intellectually super charged brain back and now he was suddenly trying to sift through the past that he had with his family, the past without them, as well as the present and unknown future all while trying to deal with a testosterone factory from hell – yeah, to say he was a bit confused might be an understatement.

"What can I get ya?" asked the guy behind the bar with such a lack of enthusiasm Sam knew he'd been told to say it to anyone walking in the door, whether he wanted to or not.

"Whatever's on tap." Sam said as he walked closer to the bar, ignoring the stares and rude comments along the way. This wasn't his first stop into 'undesirable' but he wasn't going to get cocky about it either, he knew they'd either leave him alone or not… he'd deal with it either way.

The bartender roughly placed the mug down on the bar and without another glance went elsewhere to do whatever it was he felt needed to be done at the time – for instance, slap the butt of the youngest waitress and laugh when she squealed when startled.

It wasn't until halfway through his beer when he knew that things were going badly, very badly, and he was in the middle of debating ordering another beer or waiting to see how things turned out when it happened. The hand on his shoulder was large, strong, and obviously not used to be ineffective so when Sam continued to drink his beer, the hand tightened even more leaving Sam to wonder why it was that he always had to stand out. Turning he saw a rough looking guy who obviously knew how to handle himself, too bad the same couldn't be said of his liquor.

"You a girly boy… _boy_?" the guy asked, slightly slurring his words even as he made a conscious effort not to. "We don't take kindly to your kind around here… _boy_."

Sam sighed and wondered just what the hell he'd done to interest such an obvious literate. "Look pal, I'm just here for a drink. I suggest you let go before I make you."

Laughing, the guy turned towards the other occupants and asked, "Did you hear that? He's going to _make me_… isn't that sweet?"

Another sigh came from Sam before he slid the beer away from him and grasped the man's hand in a bone crushing grip. "I really don't need your attitude man… I've got plenty of my own." Sam ground out between his clenched teeth as he continued to apply pressure to the man's hand watching as the pain began to register in the already soused brain. "So, how about you go back to your bottle and poker and leave me be… before this gets ugly."

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Dean didn't look at his dad as they raced down the road towards town. After Sammy had left he'd demanded what the hell was going on with his family and they all had an impromptu intervention for the eldest Winchester, namely for his attitude about his youngest son and his obsession with the hunting life. It hadn't gone exactly to the unwritten plan, but it had been enlightening in more ways than one. His whole life he'd known that he and his brother couldn't have a steady home, that it was too dangerous, that it wasn't for the life of a hunter. Now though he'd had more than a few things brought into light and it finally made him realize that his dad had taken the easy way out, that the man he had looked up to for so long had been unable to face what he'd lost. He'd known that Caleb was mainly a loner, but what he hadn't known was that he had his own apartment in a town outside of Tulsa so he could be in contact with everyone without being bogged down in the life with no break. Joshua had a family once and they had known all about the supernatural but it was a drunk driver in a large SUV that took it all away leaving him no doubt that bad things truly do happen without the intervention of demons. Bobby of course has his own business and home but the revelation of why he became a hunter had been a shock, but then again what hadn't been these past several years. In truth, he felt maybe he got more out of it than his dad did, which made him all the more determined to find his little brother and deal with things as they come even if it meant walking away from the hunting life until they got things figured out for themselves.

"Son, you need to believe that what I did… I did it for the right reasons." John said as he broke the dense silence. "You know that I would never…"

"Never what Dad? Hurt us? Pass up the opportunity to leave us because something else was so much more important? You know what I've learned through all this? That even though I might love doing the job, I love my little brother more and if you think that I'm going to forget about this… you are so wrong."

Any further conversation was dropped as they pulled into the gravel parking lot of the closest bar to Bobby's. Bobby's truck and Caleb's Jeep pulled in next to them and they were making their way towards the door when a body came flying out the window.

"You have got to be kidding me? We leave the kid alone for what… half hour tops and he's already gotten himself into trouble?" Dean asked as he rushed towards the door only to stop suddenly as the door opened and a very large body he recognized as Sammy backed out with his hands up and out to the side.

After Sam was in full view the hunters could see a young man pointing a gun at his chest and didn't look like he was all that steady with a firearm.

"You hurt my brother!" The young man yelled as he continued to point the gun at the man he blamed for the moment for all his problems. "You hurt him, so I'm going to hurt you!"

"David… it's David, right?" Sam asked, trying hard to figure out where the hell the guy came from and what the hell he was going to do about it. "Look David, this is between me and your brother, ok? I really don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't put the gun down."

Laughing, David shook his head in disbelief. _He_ was the one with the gun; _he_ was the one going to make the big guy pay for hurting his brother. _He_ was the…

A sound off to the side made David's attention falter giving Sam the moment to grab the kid up against his chest and take the gun away before shoving him away.

"If you're going to shoot someone, shoot them… don't talk them to death. Got it?" Sam asked as he looked at the young man in front of him. Turning, he saw his family and acknowledged their presence before turning back towards the bar and announcing, "I'm going to finish my beer."

The hunters looked at each other and shrugged before following Sammy inside for a cold one.

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Dean sat across from his brother and waited for an answer. He knew he'd thrown Sammy for a loop with his suggestion of them finding a place to themselves so they could take the time to figure things out, but it was the only thing he could think of so they could get to know each other again – to be brothers.

"Dean… you know that sounds… wow… uh… I don't know man, but… I'm still a bit screwed in the head right now you know?" Sam said, not looking at his brother and completely ignoring the others at the next table who were pretending not to be listening in on their 'private' conversation.

"Who isn't?" Dean replied, "Look… we find a place, demon proof it to the rafters, hang loose, and once we get things lined out we can decide what we'll do next."

Sam snorted in disbelief. "Right… there're demons wanting to torture me, a particular demon apparently wanting to mold me into something, and a demigod still on the loose doing who knows what. I don't know Dean…"

"Sammy listen… you're my little brother no matter how many inches or pounds you have on me and there's no way in hell I'm going to let anyone or anything get to you without a fight, so how about we step back and regroup… find out about this thing who claims to have plans for you and then decide if we take care of the bastard or let the old fogies over there take a crack at him, huh?"

The sounds of choking from the next table could be heard, giving the brothers a slight laugh before Sam turned to Dean.

"Chick flick much?" he asked with a grin.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

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The small farmhouse was far enough from the road that a person couldn't see details of what was going inside but still near enough for the occupants to have a heads up when they have company. It was out of the way, quiet and better yet… cheap as long as the two men living there would do some maintenance and keep the hoodlums away. Once the terms were agreed upon it had taken less than an hour for the current residents to completely move in and begin their transition from transients to steadfast home dwellers.

It had been a little over three months since John had seen his boys and he had been in the area, if three hundred and fifty miles is within the neighborhood, but he hadn't been able to resist any longer. Dean had taken him to the side after that night in the bar and had laid out the terms… he and Sammy would get their own place known only to the small handful that made up their unconventional family, weekly phone calls would be made periodically by each party involved, but the hardest part for him was no personal contact for one year unless there's an emergency – that was when he attempted to lay down his own terms only to find out just how serious his eldest was when he said that the only other option was for him and Sammy to disappear… completely.

Now he was watching from a field his boys mess around with the Impala and had to chuckle when Sammy chucked an oily rag at Dean while laughing at something his older brother said. It was good to see both his boys happy as well as heart wrenching that he wasn't a part of it. He knew he had a lot of work to do in order to regain both his boys trust and that's why he was going to allow them this time to themselves and as long as there were no signs of trouble, he'd keep his promise – for now.

Taking another glance at his boys he began to dial the familiar number and walked back across the wheat field while the call connected.

"Yeah."

"Hey, just wanted to let you know that…"

"…you went to see them but stayed across the road. Yeah, I know ya idjit… they texted me as soon as you got there. I'm surprised you didn't just drive into the yard and demand an audience." Bobby griped.

Chuckling, John nodded as he got into his truck. "You know, I was tempted, but I promised the boys and…"

"…and you want to see if they can make it on their own."

"Well damn Bobby, if you know so much why do I bother calling you?" John asked, feeling frustrated at the turn the conversation was taking.

Bobby laughed before hanging up, ending the conversation leaving John feeling as if he had been talking to himself. Looking towards the direction of the farm house John took a deep breath and started his truck allowing it to idle while his thoughts once again trailed to his boys, making him wish things were different, but willing to take this time to find the thing that threatened their family again in hopes that the next time he came face to face with his boys it would be with something to offer – their choice in what type life they wanted to live.


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